Gen X6 Heather's Story
by Cat Carroll
Summary: The sequel to Gen X6. Zack & Alicia's daughter is allowed to go on a class trip, but there are still those hunting Manticore technology, and Heather is thier next target.
1. The Trip

"Please say yes, please, please, it can be my Christmas present, please, Mom

"Please say yes, please, please, it can be my Christmas present, please, Mom?" Heather managed to get out in one breath, her expression the cute pleading look that usually killed her father.It didn't always work great on her mother though.She watched as her mother looked at the paperwork for the class trip to Colorado for a weekend of skiing.They were supposed to leave real early the day after Thanksgiving, and come back Sunday afternoon.

Alicia put the papers on the counter, and went back to chopping the carrots for dinner."I'm going to have to talk to your father before I say yes," she said finally.

Heather looked positively crestfallen."But he won't be back until tomorrow," she complained.

Alicia looked squarely at her fifteen-year-old daughter."You want to ask me again?" she said warningly.Heather got the hint.That meant the maybe was going to become a no, and when mom said no, it was a permanent no.Alicia watched her for a moment longer, and then went back to getting dinner ready.She didn't even turn around when there was two loud thumps from behind her.

"If you two don't start using the stairs, you both will regret it!" she yelled out, knowing it was useless.In twelve years those two had used the stairs maybe three times since they learned they could jump the railing and not get hurt.She could kill Zack for showing them that.Heather took the opportunity to head for her bedroom.If Mom noticed her while still angry at the twins, her chance to go skiing would be out the window.

"The stairs are too slow," Cameron said.

"And we never do it in front of company," Elizabeth continued in their strange twin-speak.One tended to finish the thought of the other.Alicia and Zack had no idea if it was because they were twins, or just genetics showing up like they had in Daniel and Heather.

"That's not the point," Alicia snapped."You were told not to do it, and the next time either of you do, you're both grounded for a month."She dumped the carrots in the steamer, set the timer, and started to work on the potatoes, her hands moving almost too fast to follow.The twins had always been impressed with their mother's skill with a knife.

Cameron got him and his sister the milk they'd wanted when they came downstairs.They sat at the breakfast nook, and watched their mother."I hope you let her go," Elizabeth said."If not, we'll be hearing about it until Christmas."She drank her milk thoughtfully.

"Especially when she's on the phone," Cameron continued."She's very loud then."

That paused Alicia.Her room was closer to Heather's than the twins, and she couldn't hear her."Loud?" she asked them.

"Not volume," Cameron said, trying to express what he didn't have the vocabulary for.

"But we hear her very loud," Elizabeth said.It was satisfactory enough for them both.They finished their glasses and went back upstairs.

Alicia watched them go in amazement.Were they picking up on Heather's thoughts?Even Cole couldn't "listen in" on a purebred Manticore.He could read Janna, Max and Logan's daughter with a little difficulty, and Logan was easy.But Max?Not a thing.They theorized that it must be something genetic, rather than training because he couldn't catch anything in Daniel's mind either.Sometimes strong emotion, but never actual thoughts.She was going to have to talk to Zack when he came home.Maybe the twins were just catching Heather's feelings and not her actual thoughts.

We must have been crazy to have four kids, she thought, but then she had to smile.As much as they drove her crazy, she wouldn't trade anything in this world for them.She saw so much of Zack in Daniel, and Heather was, unfortunately, her all over again.The twins were both blondes with Zack's eyes, but their features didn't match either of their parents.It had always been a little scary when all four were born because she had no idea what any of them would look like.They could have been a different race for all she knew.But every one of them had turned out perfectly.Annoying, but perfect.


	2. Family Dynamics

Heather plopped down at her vanity and started running a brush through her red-gold hair

Heather plopped down at her vanity and started running a brush through her red-gold hair.It would probably be considered auburn except for the blonde highlights running through it.Most her friends thought she dyed it, but it was completely natural.She wondered how two blondes could produce a red head.I am the redheaded stepchild, she thought dramatically, and then sighed.Nobody could mistake her for anything but her mother's child.

She cleared her mind as best she could, and concentrated, letting go of the brush.It stayed in place.She visualized it moving, and the brush jerked through her hair.No headache.That was good.Lifting an object was easy, but actually moving it took serious finesse.It was hard work just brushing her hair.The hardest thing was taking something from someone's hands.It wasn't just yanking.You had to simultaneously open their fingers and then pull the object.It usually caused a migraine.

The telekinesis wasn't that powerful, and still a little spotty.She wasn't a Carrie destroying a town.She thought she was doing really good to lift a twin without a headache.She had to stop doing that when she dropped one by accident.He hadn't gotten hurt, but they'd all had to sit down and have a family conference about abilities.Nobody's mental abilities were consistent, and it was easy to make a mistake.In short, be very careful, and no using a test subject without consent.

Her phone rang.She made herself keep the brush up and moving as she picked up the phone.She was doing great, but there was a little throbbing in her temples.Better to stop now before it got bad.

"Hey there, she say yes?" Daniel asked as soon as she said hello.

"No," Heather pouted, flinging herself on her bed.Despite the three and a half years between them, they'd always been close.He'd left that fall for his first semester in college, and she missed him terribly.Why he'd chosen to go to New York to go to school, she'd never know."She said she'd have to talk to Dad first."

"You can talk Dad into anything."

"Not if Mom doesn't want me to go!You don't have to be the telepath in the family to know what she's thinking either.I'm not three anymore, it'd be much harder to kidnap me now, and besides, who's going to know I'm even in Colorado?"She picked at the lint on her blanket."You're all the way across the country and nobody's messed with you!"

"Go spar with her," Daniel suggested."Maybe remind her SUBTLY that you're very skilled in your own right."

"Maybe."She brightened."So, how's school?Got a new girlfriend yet?"She listened eagerly as he catalogued what he'd been doing over the last couple of weeks.

Finally he broke off."Okay, transfer me to the other line," he ordered."I need to talk to Mom anyways."Heather was a little disappointed, but did as asked.She sat back down at her vanity, and resumed hands-free hair brushing.It was getting easier with practice.

Alicia picked up the ringing phone, and smiled when she heard the hello."Well, nice to hear from you my long lost son," she said.

"More like temporarily out of service," he teased."Like you couldn't find me if you wanted."

"That's your father's job," she replied, in the same teasing tone."Let me guess, your sister's already been at you to convince me to let her go skiing."

"Was that ever in doubt?" he asked."You'll do the right thing," he said dismissively, and then sounded a little nervous."Actually, there's something else I wanted to tell you."He was so glad he couldn't see his mother's riveting expression right then.That look was enough to immediately make you apologize, and then go back to doing what she wanted.

"I'm moving out, and getting a place with two friends," he announced."Not that there's been any problems with Kendra and Walter, but I just want to have a place of my own."

Walter had taken a job with the New York City Police Department five years before.He had wanted to go somewhere where a cop could still get his clean graft, and not have to worry about some do-gooder looking over his shoulder.He and Kendra had moved out there, and when Daniel went to school, offered to let him live with them.Walter still didn't know about their unique family history, and still marveled that relatives of Max Guevara could be such nice, ordinary people.

"When are you planning on doing this?" she asked.Here was the hard part.

"Umm…well…we wanted to you know, go ahead before the holidays…so…" he stammered.

"Last weekend?" she finished for him.There was silence.She was going to have to kill her eldest.

"Mom, it's not like I want to run around and party and stuff," he said quickly."But Walter's a cop and they ask questions like why don't I sleep."She couldn't argue with that.As much as Max taunted him, Walter was actually a good cop.He had the instincts for it, even if he couldn't tell there was spit in his coffee.

"But you now can run around and party and stuff," Alicia said almost casually.

"Mom!" he protested, sounding so much like Heather she could cringe.

"Daniel," she said with a sigh, "you're of age, so there's not much I can do, but if you knew it was the right thing you wouldn't have kept it a secret.He didn't know it, but she knew where that line had come from.Then Lydecker would administer the punishment for whatever had been done without his knowledge.

"I wasn't trying to be sneaky," he said, feeling about ten years old.Only his mother could do that to him."If I was I would have waited until I came home for Thanksgiving to tell you."

"Except Kendra would have mentioned it the next time we talked."

"Mom!"

"It's okay," she finally said."It's fine with me for you to have your own place, but be careful, alright."

This was a tricky place.Was she really okay?Was she going to show up in New York tomorrow?"Okay Mom, well I just wanted to let you know, and got to get running.I have an exam to study for."

"Bye"

"Bye"

Alicia hung up the phone.She'd be questioning herself as to where her children got that headstrong, independent belief that they were immortal, but she didn't have to ask.All she had to do was remember herself at fifteen and eighteen.She turned back to the potatoes, and nearly jumped a mile high when the roses came around her into her face.


	3. Daddy's Home

She spun around, the knife stopping a hair from Zack's throat

She spun around, the knife stopping a hair from Zack's throat.He didn't flinch.He knew the risks of sneaking up on his wife, but she'd never once actually hurt him except for the time she'd landed on his toe, but that was an accident.She went to yell at him, but as usual that incredible smile he had just melted everything else away.She dropped the knife and gave him a kiss that left them both breathless.It was amazing that after almost twenty years, they'd never lost the passion between them.

"I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow," she said when they finally parted.

"I got done earlier than expected," he replied with a little shrug."Didn't see the sense in staying in Mexico, so I came home."

After Manticore had dissolved, and the fivers didn't need to be protected like before, Zack had found himself rather bored.For the first time, he didn't have a constant mission to keep him moving.Bodyguard work didn't appeal to him.It was too…open.So, he'd done a little private investigating for a small firm.Small, hell, it was just one guy trying to scratch out a living.Then Zack started working for him.It didn't matter what the odds were Zack always got the information.

The big break came during the very nasty divorce of a big businessman and his wife.The pre-nuptial agreement said if he got caught cheating, she would get half, and not the piddling amount otherwise.Zack's boss, Carl Pilchard, had a cousin working as an aide for the wife.He clued in Carl who asked Zack to get something.Later Carl didn't want to know how Zack got the footage in the guy's hotel room.The businessman's room was twenty stories up, and there was no way to get in from below.The guy's security people swept the room for hidden cameras and bugs, so those were useless.The way Carl saw the tape; it looked like it had to have been filmed from the window.Impossible, yes, but Carl was the type who didn't ask questions if the goods were good.

The wife won millions.She made recommendations.She had been told that there was no way to prove her case because there was no detective that could get through the security net her husband had.Now people who wanted someone caught or found asked her how it had been done.So, she gave the name Carl Pilchard. Carl could see where this was going.Zack was freelance.He worked when he wanted to.He had told Carl he was taking a few weeks off to take his family somewhere.That meant leave me alone no matter what until I show up again.

So, when a new client came in, and begged for help, he had to say no.He was swamped as it was.She offered double his normal fee.He refused.She offered triple.He hesitated.She quadrupled, and he called Zack.The end result was that he and Zack became partners, 50-50.In exchange, Zack could never be mentioned.He was referred to as the "special investigator" whenever a new client asked.As the firm added more PI's to the staff, if you wanted the "special investigator" you really shelled out the extra cash.He was almost fashionable in some ways.Nobody ever saw him, or knew who he was, but he always got results, no matter what the case.

This time he'd been looking for a lost child.There'd been a nasty divorce, a custody battle, and then the loser took off with the kid anyways.She'd taken her daughter to Mexico to be with her family there.Zack had to basically kidnap the little girl to bring her home.He was glad to have done so.Her mother was a serious drug addict, and they'd been living in a filthy studio apartment in Mexico City.He'd given the little girl to Carl who had the father waiting in the other room, and then headed for home, stopping long enough to get some roses for Alicia.

"Be warned," Alicia said."The answer is maybe until we talk later."

He didn't have to ask.A second later he heard his eldest daughter from the stairs."Daddy!" she yelled, and ran down them to give him a hug.

He caught her easily, remembering how he used to toss her in the air, her hair flying out, and she would giggle wildly.She was growing up so fast.He could see boys' taking second looks at her whenever they walked down the street.At least he didn't have to worry about one hurting her.She might have had an almost normal life, but she still had the abilities and the training to defend herself.He'd seen to that.

"Guess I was missed," he said to her with a grin."What's up with you?"He ignored Alicia's little flash of annoyance.

"Becky's party was great and Janna got grounded 'cause she snuck out and Aunt Max said there's no way she could sneak out without being caught 'cause Max originated that kind of stuff, and then the really big news…"she glanced at her mother, who was eyeing her sharply."The class skiing trip is coming up, but Mom said you two have to discuss it first before I can go like I really want to," she said quickly.She gave her father her sweetest, most beguiling smile.

"Why don't you go get the twins, and tell them dinner is ready," Alicia suggested.Did all daughters know how to wrap their fathers?In a perverse way she had done that to Lydecker.Of course instead of sweet smiles, she would blow something up with pinpoint accuracy, and he would think she was the greatest for it, but the theory was all the same.

"Skiing trip?" Zack said low went Heather scampered out of the kitchen.

"In Colorado," Alicia said flatly.Zack understood immediately why she wouldn't want her daughter anywhere near Colorado.

"Does she know?" he asked.

"No," Alicia said shaking her head."She's so curious about Manticore life, she might actually want to see him."

"She's curious about us, why we're like we are, not Manticore," Zack said.

"The ends are the same."And that he couldn't refute.

But then the twins were running down the stairs, and the conversation had to be put on hold until after dinner.


	4. Stay or Go

Heather couldn't help herself

Heather couldn't help herself.She knew they would be discussing her trip once they went to bed, and she just had to know.She slipped out of her room silently, and listened through their door.She was easily able to hear through the door of her parent's bedroom, and listened closely to their conversation.She was right.They were talking about her.Too bad the words were so familiar.

"It's not that I don't trust her," she heard her mother say, "but what if she gets into real trouble?"

"I know," her father replied."I don't like the idea of her being so far away when we can't be there."

"There's another option, but that one's going to be up to you," Alicia said.

He sighed."I know.I don't like that either, but…"

"But, it's either that or one of us go."

Please let them ask Daniel to go, Heather prayed silently.That had to be the other option.She loved her parents to death, but on a trip like this, she'd rather have her big brother there than one of them.Weren't they ever young and wanted to be out of parental supervision?Never mind, like Dad was ever supervised, and Mom, well, God only knew what she did as a teenager because she wouldn't talk about it.She knew they wouldn't like two of their kids taking off during the holidays, but she really wanted to go, and he would be so much cooler.She was pretty popular among the sophomores, but all of the older girls would be sucking up to her to look good in front of her very cute brother.

"She really wants to go," she heard her mother say."It almost seems not right to let her have some fun.I don't want her to always be hiding in the shadows."Was that her mother?Mom was the ultimate in caution and not getting caught.Too weird.

"Been there, done that," she heard Dad say."Daniel wasn't as hard.He knew if someone had unhappy thoughts around him."That phrase had come out after Daniel read Peter Pan as a young boy.It was the only thing he could use to articulate the "bad head talk" he kept hearing from other people.

There was a long pause, and she listened harder, wondering why they had gotten quiet all of a sudden.They should be making a decision.Then she heard something else, and booked out of there.She knew full well they really loved each other, and all that but the last thing you want to think of is your parents doing it.Yuck!She went back to bed and lay there for a while.She really wanted to go.

The twins were already at the table when Heather came down for breakfast the next morning.They were grinning at her.Little freaks.They knew it messed with her when they just stared like that.They would start to do everything in perfect synchronization and keep grinning like a couple of rabid weasels.Most people thought it was cute.She thought it was whacked.

Both her parents were there.They were looking at her.It didn't look good.Well, whatever happened, she was going to take it maturely, then go into her room and have one hell of a temper tantrum.Breath holding was probably going to be involved.Also throwing around everything.Hopefully a twin would walk in.It was hard to really hurt one of them, so eventually he or she would be okay.They bounced.

"Heather," Zack finally said.Not a good tone."You know why it's dangerous for you to be on your own."

"Even without Manticore, there's a lot of people that would love to get their hands on any one of you," Alicia continued.This was really not good."We don't want you to have to live in hiding, but we don't want to deliberately put you into harm's way either."

"You both managed to keep out of danger even when you were being actively hunted," Heather said, making herself stay calm.

"No we didn't," Zack stepped in."We were just trained in how to get out of dangerous situations.Situations that I prefer you never have to even think about.There are things you never want to have to do."

She wondered again about her parents.Neither of them talked much about what they had done.Mom refused to ever speak about what she'd done for Manticore.Heather knew they were trained to be soldiers.They were supposed to be able to kill without question according to Max.Max said she had done some bad things before, but Mom and Dad had shrugged it off like maybe they had done a lot worse when Heather told them that.She wanted to know what they were really like back then.Maybe not.

"How is anyone even going to know?" she said, trying not to sound pleading."If they knew where I was now, they'd come after me."

"They also know who is around you," Alicia said coolly."The reason there was only one attempt to grab you is because the people that would want to are in mortal terror of the real Manticore soldiers showing up.They're scared of us, not you."

Heather couldn't remember much about that.She'd been three at the time, but Daniel could remember it real clearly.He said he could remember Mom going off on the guys trying to kidnap them, and that was why he never was disrespectful to her.Daniel said it was the only time he'd ever really seen what a fully trained Manticore could do.Mom could be cool sometimes.This was not one of those times.

She wanted to scream and pitch a fit.It wasn't her fault she had weird genetics.They were the ones who intentionally made her.She stood up with a great deal of dignity and composure.Her chin lifted defiantly."So I can't go because I can't take care of myself," she said coldly."I disagree.Excuse me, I have to get ready for school."She turned to leave.

Zack was having a hard time not laughing.That look and attitude was Alicia all over again.Maybe it wasn't training that gave her that coolness.Maybe it was just the way she'd been born."Heather, wait," he called.

She turned around.Why were they both smiling at her?

"You act like an adult, you'll get treated like an adult," Alicia said firmly.Normally that meant to stop acting like a baby.But, she wasn't this time.She was doing pretty well actually.Her mom was holding something.Heather went to her, and looked at it.It was the permission slip for the trip.Both of them had signed it.

She looked at her parents, her face breaking into a radiant grin."I can go?" she asked, not really believing it.

"It goes against both of our better judgments," Alicia said, "but since you took this like an adult, we can expect you to behave like one on your trip."Heather squealed and hugged both of them.

"Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!" she said excitedly.She looked at the paper again."I promise you I'll be good and everything will be great!"

She didn't notice the look her parents exchanged.She needed some freedom to spread her wings a little.What she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.


	5. Welcome to Colorado

"We will be landing in just a few minutes," the captain said over the loudspeaker

"We will be landing in just a few minutes," the captain said over the loudspeaker."The current time is 1:40 PM, and the temperature is a chilly 27 degrees."

Heather was almost bouncing in her seat with excitement.So were most of her friends.She went to a private school, so there weren't nearly as many kids there as a public school.To go on the skiing trip you had to have a B average in all of your classes.Several of her friends had to stay behind, but there were still half a dozen members of the "in" clique there.The best part was that Daniel wasn't going to be there.She was really on her own for the first time.This was fabulous!

"Just wait until you see the ski instructors!" Nina said."They are *fine*!"

"I thought you said you knew how to ski," Beth teased.

"Yeah, but they don't know that," Nina said back.She put her hand on her head dramatically."Oh no, I fell again, please pick me up and give me some very close instructions!"She illustrated with a little seated bump and grind that had them all screaming with laughter.

"Yeah, the boys here are planning to sneak in our rooms," Heather said confidentially."We'll have to put up the 'so sorry, had to party' signs while we're with the real men!"The other girls laughed again.There were a couple of "right on sister!" from some of the others.If Heather said there was going to be a party, chances were, there was going to be a par-tay.She could sneak out of anywhere and not get caught, especially at night.At summer camp she never needed a flashlight, and could run through the woods without making any noise.Her ability to not get caught would make her annoying if she wasn't so much fun.

They landed and got their luggage, a group of teens laughing and playing, determined to suck out every bit of fun they could during this weekend of freedom.There were several teachers there, and three kids had the misfortune of their parents being chaperones, but the rest were going to make this the best ski trip ever in the history of all school skiing trips.

"All right girls, get your things and get on the bus," Ms. Miller said.She was the youngest chaperone there at twenty-eight, and she was pretty, but she was always all business.She'd had just started teaching gym at Haywood Academy this year, so she was hard to read if she'd be fun on this trip or not.None of the girls' thought that she'd even for a second contemplated having some fun in a steam room with some strapping muscular skiing instructor.It was speculated that she was on the all-girls team, but Heather didn't think so.She just seemed a little guarded.Whatever.Didn't matter.Heather wasn't going to let her get in the way of serious fun.

From two different points in the airport two different men were watching the herd of kids, both of them focused on the lovely redhead at the center of a group of girls.She didn't notice either of them.They both watched her get her luggage and board the bus to the ski lodge.Neither man noticed the other as they both left a few minutes after she did, each man intent on his own agenda.

Heather had made plenty of remarks about picking up an instructor, but she was really more intent on Jonathan Hamilton.He was so adorable, and she was pretty sure he liked her too.He was on the shy side, and really reminded her more of Uncle Logan than anyone else.She had seen him looking at her more than once, and was so frustrated that he wouldn't ask her out.She was dying to say yes.Well, she'd said she didn't know how to ski, and then he "casually" mentioned that he'd been skiing a thousand times when he knew she could hear it.That was a signal!

In the general confusion to get on the bus, somehow she accidentally ended up sitting next to him.Oh darn the luck.She smiled at him, and he smiled back.In a small school, everyone knows everyone in a general sort of way.

"I'm a little nervous about being up on the slopes," she said after a little while."I'd hate to fall and break my leg or something."Okay, she'd thrown out the hook, and it was baited.

"It's not hard," he said, blushing a little.One of the prettiest girls at school was smiling and talking to him!Actually he thought she was the prettiest by far."I go with my uncle to his place in Park City, Utah and we ski there.It's a lot of fun actually."

"I'm probably going to kill myself on the bunny slopes," she said, trying to look a little morose.Come on and bite!"I guess I'm going to have to get an instructor and waste half of the day waiting for my appointment."She sighed.

"Well, if you want, I mean you're coordinated, you know from gymnastics so it shouldn't be hard to…" he was blushing beet red at showing he knew her schedule that well.He'd started, he might as well finish."I could get you started.Before I go to the advanced slopes," he finished quickly, trying to reassert his teenage masculinity.

"Well, I suppose that would be a help.You wouldn't mind?" she asked, playing it cool.Time to boat this bass."I really want to get up there.I've heard it's so much fun."

He smiled wider at her, his blush diminishing.She did want him around.He was going to be THE envy of every other guy there tonight.Even some of the seniors had been checking Heather out."It wouldn't be a bother at all," he replied."Why don't we meet at the lift right after breakfast," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me," she replied, grateful her mother and her had gotten her some new clothes.When you wear a uniform to school, clothes aren't the highest priority, but they had gotten her a new skiing outfit, and some other nicer things.She knew she looked great in them.There was this black leather skirt and vest combination with a long-sleeve blouse.Maybe she'd wear that when they went to dinner together the next night. 

The got to the lodge and got into their rooms.They unpacked, the three girls Heather was sharing with all giggling about her "date" the next day."I never thought you'd ever get him to ask you out!" Madison exclaimed.

"Yeah," Nina agreed."You are the queen!"They'd all wanted to be asked out by Jonathan.He wasn't Mr. Popularity, but he was so hot, and they all thought he'd be the type to write romantic poetry and leave a rose at your locker.

After exploring the place, and getting dinner the four girls ended up staying up late into the night, going over what Heather would be wearing, and how she would do her hair and makeup.She was so excited.Of course Dad would give him the third degree when he met him, but she just knew Jonathan was the type to survive that.He was so sweet and sensitive.One by one the other girls fell asleep, but Heather was too keyed up to make herself sleep.Not that she needed much anyways.A few hours every couple of days was plenty for her.

She finally decided to go for a walk.It was almost three in the morning, so nobody should be around.She just needed to work off some excess energy.They weren't supposed to get up until six, so she'd be back in plenty of time before they got up.She was bored just lying here pretending to be sleeping anyways.She got dressed in the dark, not needed any light anyways.

She went outside.It was cold, but she wasn't freezing.She'd inherited her parents' ability to tolerate extreme temperatures.Not that she'd want to be running around out here in shorts, but in a heavy coat and thick pants with boots and a ski cap she was comfortable.She slipped away from the lodge, and walked the grounds a little.She looked at the sky, naming the constellations blazing from above.

The lodge was nestled in a wooded area.Forest surrounded it rather cozily, and the mountains were practically right in the backyard.She went to the edge of the forest and leaned against a tree.It was a pretty little place.Maybe she could convince her parents to come up here. Of course, of things went well, maybe they'd let her bring along a special guest.That would rock.

She was about to go back when she heard voices in the woods.Had someone snuck out?Oh this was too much!She listened closely.They were a distance away, and only her enhanced hearing could pick up on the whispers.No, they weren't in her group; to be honest they sounded British."The girl is in room 317," a man said.That was her room."Tranquilize her immediately.Be very cautious and do not try to take her on one-on-one.We do not know the extent of her abilities.Remember, we must have a live capture.Understood?"

"Understood!" she heard several other British voices agree.

Oh my God, she thought.I have to call home.I have to get my parents.Her racing heart came to a crashing halt when a strong hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around.


	6. Escape and Evade

"Heather Raleigh," Ms

"Heather Raleigh," Ms. Miller yelled at her."What the hell do you think you're doing sneaking around here at three in the morning!"She'd heard a noise outside of her first story window, and seen Heather's very distinct red-gold hair bobbing by.There wasn't going to be a scandal at Haywood like there was at last year Greenwood, its sister school.Not while Janice Miller was a chaperone.She'd gone out and followed Heather to the woods.She wanted to catch whom Heather was meeting, but Heather had just stood out there alone for a while.Maybe the boyfriend had seen Heather's shadow and ran away.

"Ms. Miller, it's not what you…" Heather hissed, but was cut off.

"Who are you meeting?" Ms. Miller demanded, not lowering her voice.She'd yelled out Heather's name.Heather could hear the people in the woods coming for them now.They hadn't been too far off, and even a norm could hear Ms. Miller's shout.

"Shut up!" Heather snarled, glad to see Ms. Miller's mouth snapped closed more from shock than obeying such an order.

Heather had such an odd look on her face, like she was listening or something like that.She looked into the woods, scanning back and forth like she could actually see something in the pitch-blackness.Janice could make out about the next six feet, but that was all.There was no way Heather could see any better.Heather's eyes widened, and her mouth formed the words "oh, shit!"With surprising strength from a young girl, she grabbed her teacher and threw them both to the ground.

A microsecond later there was an explosion of gunfire peppering the tree behind where Janice had been standing.If Heather had been a second slower, Janice would have been riddled with bullets.Heather was on her feet a split second later, dragging her teacher up.How did a girl get so strong, Janice wondered as Heather yanked her off the ground.Heather suddenly made a fist about an inch from her throat.She opened her hand, and Janice almost fell down again to see the tranquilizer dart in Heather's palm.She caught that?

"Run!" Heather yelled, and took her own advice.She had to get out of there.So did Ms. Miller now.The norms had been wearing night vision goggles when she had spotted them.They had to know what Ms. Miller looked like and would kill her too now.In exploring earlier, they girls had gone down to the motor pool and found some snowmobiles.They were big enough for two, and could get them around better where Heather wanted to go.

When she was younger, her mom used to teach her stuff about getting away from people.She knew her dad didn't like it when she was taught "Manticore Stuff" but her mom just said in their case, you never knew what you were going to need in life.Now, she was grateful to have had it.Roads are dangerous, her mom had said.Norms don't have your abilities to move, so they have to use roads.They'll be blocked first because that's what they'll think of.You have the ability to use alternate means.Alternate means here meant going into the mountains.Night vision goggles were only as good as the batteries in them, but her vision was good as long as she was conscious.She should be able to lose them up there.

Why hasn't this girl been put on the track team?That was all Janice could think as she raced after Heather.Janice could run fast, she knew that.She could beat most men she knew, but this girl was leaving her in the dust.Whoever was chasing them meant business, and she wasn't going to let them hurt Heather.Janice knew they were after her, and she knew why, but she wasn't going to let an innocent girl get caught up in the crossfire.She had to get to the cars and get Heather out of there immediately.

The keys were all inside the lodge, but that wasn't a problem.When you wanted to learn something useful you asked Mom or Dad.When you wanted to learn something cool, like oh say, how do you hotwire a vehicle, you asked Aunt Max.Max was a total hellion when she was younger, which was why Janna couldn't get around her mother at all, and knew all sorts of neat tricks.Uncle Logan said he had to give her a key to his apartment because he got tired of replacing locks that got picked so many times they fell apart.

Ms. Miller was just getting to the door as Heather made the wiring connection, and the snowmobile growled to life.She pushed it to the door, already seeing men coming towards them at a sprint."Get on!" she yelled.

Janice had no idea how this child was doing all this, but there wasn't time to find out.Several more gunshots killed the protest in her throat, and she jumped on behind Heather.Heather hit the throttle and tore off into the night.Janice ducked low, ignoring the freezing wind that was tearing into her face and choking her.At first, she could tell Heather wasn't heading towards the road, but in the total darkness, she couldn't see where Heather was going at all.

"Lights!" she screamed in Heather's ear.Obviously the girl had forgotten to turn them on.She was going to get them both killed.

"Don't need 'em!" Heather yelled back.She had the throttle all the way, tearing away from the mysterious assailants.This was like being on Aunt Max's motorcycle really.If they weren't being shot at, this would be the coolest thing ever.But, she knew they had to get away, and go somewhere where they could make a phone call.There was a ranger station in the mountains.In the lodge, there was a big map of the mountain area, and the ranger stations were marked.They had satellite phones, she remembered from the information on the map.That seemed like the best place to be.

The station she wanted to go to was a good ways into the mountains.It was unmanned, so there wouldn't be anyone asking questions, but the map said even the unmanned ones had phones in case of emergency.She couldn't think of a better emergency than this.She'd inherited her mother's natural sense of direction, and sped off towards the heart of the mountains.

The ride was a couple of hours long.Heather was glad there was enough gas in the tank to make it.Dawn was starting to streak across the sky, changing the shadows from black to gray.She knew Ms. Miller had to be close to frozen, but there wasn't time to slow down.At least she was wearing a heavy coat and boots.Heather was cold, but she was far more immune to the elements than a norm.

The cabin suddenly appeared over a small ridge.Heather skidded up close to it, and finally turned off the engine.She jumped off immediately, ignoring the stiff muscles.She was still jumped up on the adrenaline rush of escape.So this is what her parents did at Manticore.Talk about a blast!Well, except for that whole loss of freedom thing.Still, being able to sharpen your skills all the time that had to be fun.

Janice took a considerable more amount of time to get into the cabin.She thanked whatever watched over them that she'd actually gotten dressed before going out than just throwing on her sweats and a coat.There was Heather, bouncing off like a little mountain goat.She wanted answers from this kid, and she was getting them before they left.Heather had zoomed around ridges, and invisible turns like it was noon instead of night.She rarely released the throttle, and acted like there was no problem at all with her tearing through the pitch-blackness.

The cabin was marginally warmer than the outside.At least the wind was blocked off.There was a gas fireplace at least.Janice grabbed the sparker off of the mantle and turned on the gas, lighting the sparker.The gas caught and started to burn off, bathing the cabin in warmth.Janice knew it wasn't the smartest thing to do, burning straight gas, but it was either that or freeze to death.

"Hello?" Heather said into the phone.She punched a couple of buttons."C'mon you stupid phone, you're supposed to work anywhere in the world!"The frustration in her voice was evident.

"Heather," Janice said, trying to figure out what to say next.With luck, someone would have noticed them missing by now, but a search party could be in danger by whoever was after her.Not to mention, she was going to have to be careful of anyone who looked like a search party because they could be the enemy.

"It's not working!" Heather declared, looking at her finally.How was she supposed to get a hold of her parents?There was someone looking for a little Manticore technology, and she needed her parents.Nobody would come after them knowing they would have to go up against two real Manticore soldiers, would they?

"How did you catch that dart?" Janice asked. She'd been thinking about it most of the ride.They had wanted Heather down so she couldn't tell what she'd seen, but they only wanted to kill Janice.She understood them wanting to kill her, but if it were whom she thought, they wouldn't have problems killing a young girl either.Maybe they were going to interrogate Heather to see if she knew anything.That sounded right, after all they did see her with Heather alone in the woods a t night.It didn't explain how she caught the dart though.

Heather knew she had an instinctive ability to use her telekinesis.She couldn't help or control it; it would just pop out sometimes. Like when she was sparring with her Dad, he said sometimes his arm would swing out of the way, or he would be slowed down a little.She wasn't consciously trying to do it, her mind just took control.She'd heard the dart, and her mind slowed it enough so that she could grab it.But how do you tell your teacher that you're telekinetic, and have reflexes no mere mortal could ever hope to have?

"I heard it," she said.Time to change the subject."But the phone's broken!"

Janice took the phone.Regardless of Heather's interesting abilities, she needed to get off of this mountain in one piece.Janice examined the phone."This model is hardwired to a satellite uplink which is probably on the roof.The transceiver is probably broken, or the cables to the satellite have come loose.If it's a cable, I can fix it."

Heather was now the one giving the strange looks."How do you know some much about telecommunications equipment?" she asked.Janice just smiled.

"Give yourself another ten years," she said."You'll be surprised what you pick up.I'm going to go up on the roof and…" Her words were cut of by a shushing gesture from Heather.Heather was looking like an animal hearing something she didn't like.If she were a cat, her ears would have been all the way forward.

Heather could hear something.Something like a slithering.It was barely there, but it was there nevertheless.She didn't like it one bit.Then she could hear her mother's advice in her head once more.Use your abilities, she'd been told.There were two unmanned cabins that she could have gone to.One was much further away.In this weather, it would have frozen a norm to go such a distance, but it wouldn't have been too much a bother for Heather.Norms do what they would do, like block the roads, or go to the closer cabin.

Before either of them could move, there were movements of white as snow-camouflage blankets were thrown off, and about a dozen guns suddenly broke through the glass windows.


	7. Tactical Manuevers

Surrender was the last thing on Heather's mind

Surrender was the last thing on Heather's mind.They wouldn't kill her.She was valuable.Patience, she ordered herself.You have to be patient, and wait for them to get close, and then beat the holy heck out of them.Her parents had taught her hand-to-hand combat very well.Her mother refused to teach her about guns, but her dad had shown her the fundamentals.If she could get one, well, first she was going to have to take down a couple of bad guys.

Two men and a woman walked in, each wearing white snowsuits.They were all grinning.It reminded Heather of the twins with that rabid weasel grin thing.She wasn't expecting her teacher to suddenly step in front of her, with a sudden aura that reminded her of mom when she was mad.

Janice recognized the woman vaguely.She was British Intelligence, possibly MI5.She'd seen her a few times at least, but what was she doing here?Janice knew that it wasn't the British that were a little upset with her.Wasn't there something about several MI5's going mercenary?That was right about the time Janice had left her unit, and there wasn't any time for anything that was going on with other groups around the world.

"Who are you with?" Janice asked, wondering that for real.If they were MI5, what was the deal then?

"Madame, all we need is the girl," the lead man said in a rather friendly manner.The friendliness didn't go well with the half a dozen men that were entering behind them, each carrying an assault rifle.

One of the other men looked at the woman."Are you sure she's the Manticore child?" he asked, his British nationality obvious."She doesn't look different."

They needed the who and the what, Janice thought.What the hell was Manticore, and what did it have to do with Heather?She didn't even see Heather come from around her with all of the speed that her pure Manticore genetics allowed.

For a moment Janice could only stare in absolute shock.Despite her own lightening quick reflexes, and combat skill, this mere child was putting to shame everything she'd ever considered to be the best.She suddenly darted around Janice, and then literally ran up the side of the wall to get around the trio.Before anyone could even breathe, she'd taken down two of the gunmen in a series of kicks.One tried to grab her, but she was in the air, and used the ceiling to back flip before he could touch her.

Janice's paralysis of shock released, and she leapt into action.She grabbed the man nearest her, planting her elbow firmly in his solar plexus.He gasped as the wind was knocked out of him, and her fist came back squarely in his face.He hit the ground.The other man who had questioned the woman about Heather retreated, and the woman met Janice head on.She was definitely the MI5 that Janice thought she was.Janice blocked her kick, had her block punched, and then staggered back as the woman's punch made contact.

The body of one of her own men suddenly shoved the woman forward.They all knew there couldn't be any shooting, but Heather wasn't intimidated by seeing their guns.She'd seen far more impressive.Janice got a glimpse of her taking down another man, moving around their blows like water.It was too crowded for them to use tasers; the chances they'd hit one of their own was too high, and it was looking like a dozen men weren't enough to take down this kid.

For a moment the woman and Janice were within kissing distance."Nightshade," the woman murmured."I thought it was you."Janice shoved her back, this time nailing one of the men after Heather from behind.Her foot caught him in the base of the skull and he collapsed without a word.Janice felt a sharp blow from behind, and everything went black.

The loud whistle filled the air and for a moment everyone froze.Heather had been rather proud of herself.Granted, there wasn't enough room for more than about three to take her on at once, but she thought she was doing quite well.She'd only worked out with people whose genetics were as tweaked as her own, and never actually fought a norm before, so who knew if they were lousy or if she were superb.But now they weren't fighting.

Ms. Miller was unconscious on the floor and the woman that had been on the alpha team was holding a gun to her head.She was smiling."Tell me dear," she said, sounding like a British nanny or something, "are you willing to kill her to save yourself?"

Heather knew she couldn't yank the gun from the woman's hands and save Ms. Miller.She could grab it, but the migraine headache would incapacitate her for a while, and that was time she didn't have.Maybe this was time for a tactical retreat?Slowly, she put her hands up in the air.

The woman's expression became almost feral."Good girl," she said.Rough hands grabbed Heather and tied her hands behind her back.Whatever they were using, Heather knew she wouldn't be able to break it.Two of the other men quickly tied up Ms. Miller who was starting to stir a little.

The two men from the alpha team approached Heather.She glared at them both, not acting the least bit intimidated by either."Well," the first one said, "what do you think of her now?Think she might not be Manticore?"

The second one shook his head.He looked a little in awe of her."I must say, I am rather impressed," he replied. "I had no idea they were this wonderful.You say she isn't one of the trained ones?What else can she do?"

"She can tell you to kiss her ass," Heather snapped."You got the Manticore-ling, whatever, now let her go."

The first man looked at the woman who sighed and looked very annoyed that he was considering it."Let her go?" she asked incredulously."My God, Hal, as usual you have no idea what we've got here.Not just one, but two finds.This one isn't worth as much as your girl, but she'll fetch a decent price for the right buyer."

Hal flushed, but kept his composure.Heather could see who was in charge of this little venture.Wait a minute; there was someone after Ms. Miller?She was a gym teacher!Who would want the head of a gym teacher?Maybe someone had hard feelings about having to run extra laps during detention or something, but Heather had an idea there was more to it.She'd seen Ms. Miller during the fight, and the woman obviously knew how to fight.They had to get out of this.She wanted to know what was up with that.

"Do we drug her for shipment?" the second man asked.He was still looking at Heather like he was having a hard time seeing her as genetically jumped even after her display.Well, she did look like any regular kid, and she didn't have a barcode, just a weird black blotch that was smaller than the barcodes on the base of her neck.

"Of course," Hal replied, and Heather felt something sting her arm behind her.Her eyes closed, and she frantically tried to visualize the liquid going into her.Pain lanced into her head, as she kept it together within her vein, not letting her body absorb it.She forced the liquid to move in a group, not letting it get away or it would take her down cold.Her head started to throb, but she was using her abilities in a way she never thought she could before.She forced it through her bloodstream, ending it in her bladder.Her mom had said most tranquilizers were neutralized by acid, and were eliminated from the body.Great, now she had to pee.

Heather's eyes fluttered a little, and she relaxed against them.She felt a little dizzy, and her head hurt, but she was coherent.She staggered, faking like she was passing out.What was that drug supposed to do?

"I thought you said it would take her down," Hal hissed at the woman who had come close by this point.

She didn't seem concerned."She's obviously incapacitated," the woman replied."We don't know how much will hurt her."She glanced at the second man."Unless of course you have the specs already?"

"No," he replied."She's going to be our prototype."

They started dragging her out.She let her head roll back limply.Ms. Miller was on her feet again, dazed from the blow, and being led out as well.This is so not good, Heather thought.As a matter of fact, it really sucked.


	8. Getting Away the X-7 Way

Snowmobiles were being brought out of the woods

Snowmobiles were being brought out of the woods.The engines looked really funny, and then Heather got it.They were more like snow jet skis.They actually sat in the snow, pulling it and pushing it behind, like a jet engine.They weren't as fast, but they were much quieter.No wonder she hadn't heard them.Jerks.That wasn't fair at all.They threw her across the back of one of them.

"We can't bring a helicopter in here," the woman was explaining."There's too many trees, and we wouldn't want any accidents to happen now that you have your merchandise.We'll go to where you were dropped off yesterday and my people will be waiting for us there."

Heather felt someone strap her down, and they were off.She started to work at her bonds to try and get them off somehow.This is when having an older brother was cool. When she was very small and he wanted to play with him and his friends, she would try and tag along.So, he'd tie her up and leave her in the closet.Mom would spank him, and ground him, but Daniel never learned.Until of course, she started getting untied.

It should be simple telekinesis to loosen the ropes.Luckily they didn't use handcuffs, just some Delastic Cord.No big deal at all, yeah right.If you pulled, it would get tighter and tighter.It was specially designed to handle problem prisoners in jail.Uncle Logan and Uncle Justin had just done a story about it in their magazine.It would tighten to the point of cutting through skin.So, she couldn't pull the cord at all.You had to have a magnetic key, and the ropes would loosen.

She opened her eyes just a slit.The driver had the key around his wrist attached to the kill switch of the snowmobile.If they tipped, it wouldn't go flying.Perfect.Simple lifting wasn't hard for Heather.It barely gave her a headache at all.Moving things with control was the painful thing.This would be an cinch.Plain straps were keeping her on.They took half a second to loosen telekinetically.She closed her eyes and mentally saw the runner of the snowmobile.Then she mentally saw it come off of the ground.

They were in the middle of the pack, and everyone went skidding when the snowmobile flipped over.They were at the edge of a slope, and the flipped vehicle went sliding down it.Heather was thrown off of the back, and flew wildly down the slope in a wild ride of snow.She wasn't sure how she was able to steady herself, but at the bottom, fifty feet down, she was fully conscious and lying on her side.The driver was out cold, about four feet from her.

Heather rolled over to the guard and put her wrists against the key.The bonds loosened immediately.She yanked them off, grabbed the key and got her ankles free.People were shouting and yelling from the ledge above.Heather grinned.They probably thought the fall would hurt her.Not this little Manticore-ling.An explosion of gunfire from above wiped the grin off of her face.Ms. Miller was still up there!The deep snow made quick travel almost impossible, but she was going back up as fast as she could.


	9. Enter the Calvary

Janice was trying not to laugh when they threw her on the snowmobile

Janice was trying not to laugh when they threw her on the snowmobile.Delastic bonds?What kind of idiot still used those?Maybe they weren't stupid, they just didn't have the intelligence reports she used to have access to.Delastic weakened in cold weather.If they'd been outside for more than a few hours, they could be loosened by almost any magnetic field, like oh say, the one being produced by the magnetic portion of the snowmobile's engine.These were the newer versions if what she'd seen while shamming being half unconscious was right.They used a partial magnetic drive to slide over the snow easier.The engine ran directly underneath the body of the vehicle.

As they moved, she carefully moved her wrists down a little.She looked like she was unconscious and her arms were dangling.She knew better than to pull to test the bonds.In a few minutes they would slack on their own, and she could get free.The driver had an automatic rifle across his back.Grab that, throw him off and get to Heather.For some reason they wanted Heather.What the hell was Manticore and how did an upper class fifteen year old get involved with it? 

That question would have to wait until they got somewhere safe.Janice remembered some caves not terribly far from here.She had to map them once as a training exercise.She'd been training some young punks that needed their butts kicked.They'd mapped the caves, and then she led them deep in them and burned the map.They thought she would lead them out, but she took off in the dark.It was more to humble them so they could be taught, but the important thing was that SHE had kept the map memorized.She could get them in and keep them there until their kidnappers gave up.

Her bonds loosened.She took a deep breath and calmed her galloping heart while slipping them off of her wrists.There was only going to be one shot at this and she was going to take it no matter what.Suddenly the driver skidded hard to the right, nearly tipping them.Janice grabbed the side of the snowmobile and held on for dear life.There was a fifty-foot drop on the other side, and if anyone went off of that, they were going to be seriously injured.

She didn't waste the time to question why it skidded.The moment it stopped, she grabbed the gun, yanking the driver backwards.Her elbow made contact with his skull.Hah!So much for tying up the American huh?She yanked the gun off of his back, and glanced around. Everyone was looking over the side of the embankment.Heather was missing.What the hell had that girl done this time?

Janice wasn't sure why, but something made her look up.She saw the canister falling and instinctively knew what it was.She ducked and closed her eyes.The flash grenade went off with a loud bang, and several people fired their guns in the air, blindly trying to hit whoever just threw that.Janice, her ears ringing, but vision good, looked back up and saw…no, it was impossible.There was a ledge about sixty feet up, and a man jumped off of it with no hesitation.He hit the ground, and launched into an attack on all of the guards in a flurry of fast kicks and punches.

Janice could barely see him for his speed.It was like Heather earlier.Heather!Janice started fighting her way to the side.One guard grabbed her, and she easily took him out with a knee to the solar plexus, and then an elbow to the kidney.He doubled over, and she whipped around in a vicious kick that took him out.

"One of the real ones!" Janice heard the buyer squeak.His snowmobile roared to life, and he started flying back up the road.She didn't have time to question it.Another guard slashed at her with a knife.She dropped, her leg flashing out, foot connecting with his knee.There was a heinous crunch, and he hit the ground, grabbing his leg.

She managed to get a little closer to the ledge when another guard attacked.There seemed to be less of them, mostly due to the mystery man.There had been a couple of gunshots, but he'd ducked around them somehow.You'd think at this range, trained mercenaries wouldn't miss.Ah well, made her life easier.

Her newest attacker aimed his rifle at her, but she dropped and rolled into his legs.He tripped over her, and she grabbed the gun on the way down.She was back on her feet, rifle in hand.He jumped at her, but she took the shot before he could get off of the ground.He collapsed, half of his head missing.Janice spared a moment to glance over the ledge.Heather had to be at the bottom, tied up and most likely unconscious.Janice almost dropped her rifle when she saw Heather loose and climbing the ledge.

It had gotten quiet, and she spun around, rifle raised.Only the mystery man was left standing.All of the mercs were either running for their lives or disabled on the ground.Mr. Flashy Entrance was in a karate attack stance, staring at her.She aimed the rifle expertly at him.He was fast, but she doubted he could beat a bullet.

"You're not taking her," she told him coldly.His eyes narrowed, a deadly smile touching the edges of his mouth.

Janice heard a slight panting from beside her.Heather had made it all the way up the ledge by herself.Damn, this kid must be made by Rubbermaid or something like that.Maybe Manticore was the secret word for human Timex.

"Stay back!" she ordered harshly.To her surprise, Heather pushed past her and ran to the man, practically jumping in his arms.He caught her easily and smiled warmly at her, the dangerous fighter Janice had just seen disappearing in an instant.

"Uncle Cole!" Heather cried.She hugged him, grateful to see him.When Heather made the top of the embankment, he was the last person she thought would be there.No wonder all of the guards were gone.He'd probably kicked their butts.There was a dead guy by Ms. Miller, and she had a gun on Uncle Cole, but who cared about that?Having Cole there would be like having Dad or Mom there.Nothing was going to get to her now.

"Uncle Cole," she gasped."I was supposed to go skiing and then I wanted to go for a walk last night but these Brits started chasing us so we went to a ranger station but the phone was broken and I think they sabotaged it and then they all came in and I was really kicking butt until the woman said she was going to shoot Ms. Miller so they took us away but I flipped the snowmobile and what are you doing here?"


	10. Reunions

Cole knew that if he didn't have base telepathic abilities, he would have never understood that sentence from Heather

Cole knew that if he didn't have base telepathic abilities, he would have never understood that sentence from Heather.She obviously didn't need to breathe for a while, he decided while listening to her speech without taking a breath.No man should be around a fifteen-year-old girl unless he was a telepath.That should be a law or something.

"Uncle Cole, what are you doing here?" she insisted again.

"For some reason when your parents found out you were missing and there had been shooting right before you disappeared, they were a little worried," he replied with a grin."They somehow had this weird idea you were in trouble, and since I was in Colorado anyways for Thanksgiving, your mother called me to hunt you down while they traveled here.Now who's your protector with the rifle?"

Heather glanced over her shoulder."Ummm…"she started, a little confused as how to make the introduction."This is Ms. Miller, my gym teacher.She's a chaperone."She turned to her teacher who still had her rifle aimed."Ms. Miller, this is my uncle, Cole Lydecker.I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't shoot him."

Janice lowered the rifle.Uncle?Well, at least she knew Heather got her abilities honestly.She eyed Cole, trying to place him.He looked familiar somehow.He looked like he was in his early-to-mid-thirties or so, but he could be older.Something told her he was at least.She was used to trusting her instincts.He wasn't someone she had worked with, that was for sure.He was eyeing her back just as hard, as if trying to place her as well.Had they met before somewhere?

Cole did not like this at all.Occasionally there was a norm he couldn't read.It was extremely rare, but it happened.It was happening now.He'd met her before somewhere, but he couldn't grab it out of her head where.Her deep brown eyes were perfectly unreadable.It reminded him vaguely of someone else, and then he got it."It's Janice Miller, isn't it?" he asked.She nodded slowly."I thought so.We met at the Pentagon a few years ago.It was a counter-terrorism meeting.I was there as a spectator."

Comprehension dawned in her eyes."I was wondering what a flyboy was doing in there," she said."But you're not an ordinary flyboy at all are you?"

Heather looked from her uncle to her teacher in complete confusion.She had gotten used to having weird family secrets and stuff like that, but she had never thought that regular people could have lives that they didn't talk about or couldn't talk about.After hiding something like Manticore, everything else seemed vanilla."Wait," she said to her teacher."Are you really a teacher or just hiding out because that chick was calling you Nightshade and that was just weird."

"I'm a real teacher," Janice said, realizing whom this Cole was now.He'd been sitting with a member of a Special Forces counter-terrorism team.Janice had recognized her immediately.Shadow was the first female ever admitted into their hallowed ranks.She was supposed to just be a medic, but had become a full team member.They were a very tight team, arguably the best there was, and all of them had a barcode tattooed on the back of their neck one night after they'd all been out drinking for a while one night.Janice had learned that Shadow had gotten a barcode on her neck as a teen, and the rest did it to unify.It had looked funny for there to be an outsider with that particular team, but Shadow seemed comfortable with him.

"Now what the hell is Manticore and why do they think you're part of it?" Janice asked.Cole looked sharply at Heather.

"I didn't say anything," the girl protested immediately."They kept talking about it and having a prototype."

Cole went to say something, but looked up sharply.He knelt, and motioned them to get down.Janice noticed that he was using hand signals that most Air Force pilots didn't know.They were normally used by black ops units.Like hers.Janice went low to the ground, and then rolled over twice so that she was near them.Further explanations were going to have to wait until they were all safe.She made a hand gesture."What do you see?"

Heather seemed to know what that meant as well.Cole looked at his niece and smiled a little.He quirked an eyebrow at her, and Heather wanted to laugh.He used to play this game with her when she was little.He would see something, and then make her look for it.The game had helped to focus her abilities and she was glad to have it now.She started to scan the nearby ridges.

Janice was wondering what the hell was going on.She couldn't see anything except for more snow.Something was very weird about these two.He was not the typical pilot she'd known at any rate.Was Manticore some kind of solider training facility?She knew there had been some to create advanced infantry troops, but what she had seen was far beyond those humble training facilities.A sudden flash of memory caught her.Heather not getting hurt falling fifty feet.Cole jumping off a high ledge.Heather got her ability honestly.Genetically? 

Janice had heard vague rumors about secret genetics lab breeding facilities to make a perfect solider.She knew something like that had been tried in South Africa once, but it had failed miserably.That was like twenty years before though.The US had never done anything like that.Would they have?Janice was positioned slightly behind Cole and Heather.Cole had pulled down the hood of his coat when he was fighting so that he had full vision.He wasn't freezing like Janice knew she would be.On his neck, just a little above his collar, she could see black lines poking up vertically.A barcode?Was he part of Shadow's group, or was she part of his?Janice knew Heather had an odd birthmark on her neck.It looked like a black smudge.Was it supposed to have been a barcode?

Heather made a hand gesture, and Janice focused back on them, not just their necks.Heather pointed to her eyes."I see." She pointed up on a ridge with two fingers, and then another with three."Two men there, three over there."Cole shook his head and then pointed to a third location with two fingers.Heather looked a little sheepish.She'd missed a couple.Oh well, that's what Cole was there for.

Cole glanced back at Janice."Looks like we still have company," he said low.

"Those guys don't give up ever," Janice replied."I've dealt with them before.They'll be back with more firepower real soon.That bit…" she glanced at Heather, "woman has never reneged on a contract."

"Then we get moving," Cole said firmly.He picked up a backpack, and mentally inventoried it.He had some toys, but not nearly enough.He glanced up.Gray clouds were starting to roll in.Snow clouds.Janice was noticing it too.She did have some decent training.Know everything possible about your surroundings.

"About a mile northeast of here there's the entrance to some caves," Janice said."It's a complex maze in there.My…I've been there a few times.There used to be supplies deep within it; there still may be.They won't be able to search for long if the snow gets heavy enough."

Cole really wished he could read her.Was she working with the enemy?It could be coincidence that she was there.He didn't like to trust to coincidence.It didn't matter.She was still a norm."Move out," he ordered.He looked hard at Janice."You run point.We'll keep an eye out for things."

She nodded, and they started to move as the first few flakes began to fall from the sky.


	11. Search & Rescue

Jonathan Hamilton pulled up short at a ridge and scanned the area with his binoculars

Jonathan Hamilton pulled up short at a ridge and scanned the area with his binoculars.One of the other members of the search party pulled up next to him and waited for him to finish looking around.They had been out since dawn, but nobody had seen the slightest hint of them anywhere.Now a light snow was falling and their tracks were going to be gone within a few minutes.

Jonathan put down the binoculars and looked at Craig."Not a damn thing," he commented.This was driving him nuts.What happened?He was supposed to be teaching Heather how to ski right now, not hunting all over the mountains for her.Rescuing the damsel in distress was cool in books, but this was ridiculous.He'd done ski rescue before, and normally the person was found rather quickly.Of course shooting had preceded this disappearance, and Ms. Miller was gone as well, so who knew what happened.

Jonathan and Craig started off again.Jonathan was thankful for all the skiing experience he had now.His parents had divorced when he was ten.The papers were signed in October and his mother remarried in December.His father decided to take his mistress to Europe for the holidays, and his mother had decided to go to the Caribbean with her new husband.Both of them were trying to get Jonathan to go with them to show that they were the better parent and Jonathan loved them more.

Jon was tired of being a pawn in their petty games.They had been like this for as long as he could remember and he was flat out sick of it.When Uncle Bret and Aunt Lynn invited him to spend the holidays with them in Utah, he'd jumped at the chance.They didn't have any children of their own and treated him like he was their own.He started to ski that winter, and Uncle Bret said he had talent at it.After that holiday, Jon started spending as much time as possible with his uncle and aunt and up on the slopes.

During the summer, they started to hold training in search and rescue.It was easier to learn techniques when you made your own snow, so they'd start in the summer.That winter Jon fully qualified in search and rescue.At fourteen he was extremely young, but he passed every test, so he was certified.That had been over a year ago.As soon as it was announced Heather was missing, he had volunteered to go out.There was a lot of ground to cover, and they didn't care he was barely sixteen.They needed everyone possible out searching.

Jon and Craig skied a little further.The snow was getting heavier, and they didn't want to get stuck anywhere.Jon thought of Heather and shivered.Where could she be?She was probably terrified wherever she was.He was used to the mountains.She wasn't.What if she fell?She could get hurt.No, he was going to rescue her.They knew that a snowmobile was missing.Maybe she had walked into a theft in progress?Had she been kidnapped so she couldn't tell?Why was Ms. Miller missing as well then?Too many questions.He wanted answers.

He stopped and did another scan, stopping suddenly when a winking caught his attention.There was something metallic down a ridge.It could be a snowmobile.He and Craig took off in the right direction, sliding through some tricky slopes to get there.The hit the landing, and looked over the side.Fifty feet down there was a snowmobile, but nobody was on it, or around it.It wasn't one of the resorts.Jon grabbed the binoculars while Craig called in the find.He surveyed the area, his heart freezing at the glint of gold in the snow.He zoomed in the binoculars, and could see it very clearly.

It was something he could never forget.He'd seen that charm bracelet bouncing a thousand times on her elegant wrist.He couldn't stare at Heather, so he would look at the bracelet, trying to imagine what each charm meant.Would she wear one that he gave her?He had wanted to ask her out so much.He'd decided that he was going to ask her out so that he could get her a charm for Christmas.If she wore it, that would mean they were exclusive.Now the bracelet was lying forgotten in the snow.

Craig tapped him on the shoulder.He looked freaked."Check out that rock," he said, pointing.Jon saw the red splash that was frozen to it.All search and rescue people knew what frozen blood looked like.Craig bent, and brushed away some of the snow near the rock.There was more blood on the snow underneath.

"Heather's bracelet is down there," Jon said."She fell over that ridge, but she's not down there now."

The two started to look around.Jon found a single bullet casing.He had gone hunting a few times and knew that this was not from a hunter's shotgun.Craig found something and picked it up, an explicative escaping his throat.

"What the hell is a flash grenade doing here?" he asked, holding up the broken canister.

Jon could see everything falling into place.Heather was rich.She had been kidnapped obviously.She tried to get away, and they had done something to knock her off the snowmobile.Maybe she had gotten away with one of theirs.She had been hurt when she fell.There was a lot of blood, but she could still be alive.She had to be.And he was going to find her.


	12. Free Fall

Moving through snow wasn't easy, and the falling snow was starting to get thicker

Moving through snow wasn't easy, and the falling snow was starting to get thicker.Janice heard Cole say it was going to be a storm.It seemed that he had spent some time in Colorado and knew the weather deep in the mountains.They had trudged along for nearly an hour to get to the right spot.About two hundred yards off was an incline that led down to where the cave entrance was.Janice could see the cave from where they were, but it was rather well camouflaged.She could only see it because she knew what she was looking for.

Heather was still looking distraught.About twenty minutes before she had gasped out, "oh no!"The adults immediately went into full alert looking for what alarmed her.She looked up at them, stricken."My bracelet broke off!" she cried, and started to look around on the snow.

Janice and Cole's eyes met in a moment of amused understanding.Kids.Regardless of her revved genetics, she was just a kid.Heather wasn't upset about death and mayhem.She was upset she'd lost her bracelet.

"If it's gone then it's gone," Cole told her."I'll get you another one later, okay Little Bit?"Janice had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at that little endearment.

"But I never take it off," Heather said."It's got all my charms on it, and now it's gone!"Her eyes narrowed in fury."THEY made me lose it.They better not come near me!"For a second Janice was a little scared of her.The girl looked absolutely feral at that moment.

"Let's hope they don't see any of us again," Janice said.She took a deep breath."I have a feeling you two are somewhat immune to the cold, but I'm not.We need to get moving."There was a strange look in Cole's expression, and she knew she'd hit the target.They got moving again, Heather pouting the whole time.

Suddenly Cole stopped, and dropped to one knee.Heather and Janice got down as well, looking at him.Heather started to scan the area, but looked confused.She couldn't see anyone.Janice caught Heather's face, and felt her jaw drop as she saw the girl's eyes.The pupils were twisting, taking over the entire iris as she looked up on the ridges and terraces flanking them.They contracted, then dilated again as she focused on different distances, just like an animal would.In Greek mythology the Manticore was a human-animal hybrid.What had happened to these people?

"Uncle Cole?" Heather whispered.He tapped his temple.She knew what that meant.There was someone "broadcasting" real loud.

"Someone has issues with his mother," he muttered after a second.Heather had to fight back a giggle.Cole closed his eyes and let himself "broadcast" out false emotion.It was the first step to mental manipulation.He couldn't directly affect thoughts unless he knew the mind well, but he could insert emotion to provoke a response.Fear.Loneliness.I'm far from home in a bloody mountain range for a kid.I'm sitting here…I'm sitting here…

Cole's eyes snapped open.He'd wanted to provoke the person into thinking about where he was positioned.He pointed up to a ridge about twenty yards from where the incline to the caves began.He looked at Janice, his eyes boring into her with suspicion.

"They knew where we were going," he said simply."Where you were leading us to."

"She probably knows where we did training," Janice replied, ignoring the implication."Exactly where doesn't matter if they're high enough to get a good view."

"A CIA operative just happens to be teaching at my niece's school," Cole said heatedly.He couldn't get her to open her mind at all.Not good."Just happens to be chaperoning a trip far from her parents.Just happens to be the one with her when some mercenary team goes after her.Just happens to lead her right to an ambush."

Instead of responding, Janice suddenly whipped hard to her left, grabbing Heather and taking them both to the ground.A single shot rang out as they were falling, followed be several more.There was a small clump of rocks they got behind quickly, a few bullets ringing off of the stone.

"Just happens to get shot saving her life," Janice hissed at Cole.Blood was staining her cost.She pulled apart the tear, and was grateful to see that the bullet had grazed her arm, cutting the skin, but not going in.It still hurt like hell though.

He was too angry with himself to reply.He'd lost his focus for a minute to try and crack Janice, and didn't notice more people come up.Now they were pinned in a bad location.He could toss a grenade up to the place where the shots were coming from, but there was too much loose snow.An avalanche could start and bury them all.Damn!He'd gotten out of practice in strategy and tactics.

Janice hoisted her rifle, ignoring the sharp pain in her arm.She peeked over the edge and scanned the ridges, looking for color variations. There were more shots, and then she saw white that didn't match snow.Men, she thought disdainfully.Can't tell the difference between snow white and white.She fired three shots into the patch of mismatched color.The return fire diminished a little.

Cole was watching her, and with his enhanced vision saw the man fall."Nice shot," he muttered.Not bad at all for a norm.With the enhanced vision, he could see movement, shapes and shadows much more clearly, but color was diminished.The shooters were being very still, but she'd been able to spot them.Not bad at all actually.

"There's going to be way more here in a minute," Janice said."Any suggestions?"

"We go over the side," Heather said quickly, pointing to the edge."We'll be in the caves before they can get to us, and we can lose them there."

"It's two hundred feet straight down," Cole vetoed."Neither of us can do that, and she definitely can't."

Heather smiled at her uncle."I can catch," she explained.It made no sense to Janice, but Cole looked horrified.

"That kind of strain would cause a stroke or something like that," he snapped.

"The snow is getting heavier," Janice said."In a few minutes they won't be able to see, but you two can.We'll just wait and hope reinforcements don't get here in time."She wasn't too sure what Heather meant by catching, but Cole wasn't hyped on it at all.

"Will you two get your heads out of your butt and think!" Heather snapped.Cole didn't have to wonder where she got that from.Alicia had snarled that at the sixers more than once on a mission.She had that same "I am the only non-idiot here" expression her mother had perfected."They're going to be here in a few minutes if we don't get shot first."

"Heather I am not letting you do that," Cole said fiercely."You're going to kill yourself!"

"It's a risk!" she protested."It's that or get shot or get cut up and dissected.I'd rather take the risk."She stopped.The wind was blowing in a new sound.Helicopter blades."Uncle Cole!"

Cole wavered, and then looked hard at Janice."How much do you weigh?" he asked.

She looked offended, but answered."Around 130 or so."For a woman six feet tall, that wasn't bad at all.He thought for a second.

"About fifty feet up, just drop us," he ordered his niece."I can hold the impact on my own."

Heather nodded."Try to move as little as possible," she said."Go straight, and don't fight if you change direction.Wait for me to touch down and just go."

"Are you insane?" Janice hissed."There's no way you're going to make that drop."

Heather smiled coldly."Check this out," she said, and then ran in a crouch to the edge.She paused for a second and looked behind her.Cole was already following with Janice behind.Heather turned and suddenly jumped over the side in a swan dive.

The freefall was incredible!The wind whistled around Heather as she tumbled towards the ground, tearing back her hood and blowing her hair everywhere.It was like flying with Uncle Cole except there wasn't the annoying plane around them.She engaged her mind, and forced herself to slow.Pain lanced into her head as she slowed herself down, finally hitting the soft snow feet first.She stumbled forward, falling on her hands.She flipped over, and waved at them to come on down.This was going to hurt.

Cole saw her land and wave.The kid did it.She was getting stronger.Janice was crouched beside him, the shock on her face absolutely priceless.Before they could move, there was another barrage of gunfire, and they both went face first into the snow.Cole grabbed Janice's uninjured shoulder, and flipped so that he was lying flat on top of her.

"Don't fight," he said.She wasn't sure what he meant by that."Let me handle the fall completely.Just hold on.I won't drop you as long as you don't scream."

"How is she going to catch us?" Janice asked, knowing what he was waiting for.In a second the shooting would wane as they reloaded.

"She's telekinetic," he replied.Before she could protest that was impossible, the shooting slowed."Get ready," he said, wrapping an arm around her back, and launching them off of the side of the cliff.Janice arms were locked around him, her eyes closed.If this was the way it was going to end…what the hell, there were worse ways to die.


	13. Into the Caves

Janice had experienced a great deal in her life

Janice had experienced a great deal in her life.There had more times than she could count when she was sure she was going to get killed.Nothing had prepared her for the feeling of falling over a sheer ledge in the arms of a genetically engineered solider, counting on a fifteen year old telekinetic to keep them from splattering all over the rocks below.She had to bite her lip to keep back a scream of terror, something she had not done in years.

Cole had thrown them headfirst off of the cliff's edge, his body locked rigid.She forced herself to stay against him, and not fight when they were jerked sharply forward.But they weren't falling fast enough.Janice had done skydiving before, and knew what a freefall was like.This was way too slow.Suddenly whatever was holding them released, and they tumbled to the ground.Now Cole was taking over, flipping them around so that they landed feet first.He hit the ground, her weight jerking him off balance.They both tumbled to the ground, rolling a couple of time, Cole ending up mostly on top of Janice.

"You okay?" Cole asked, looking a little surprised himself that they were both alive.She nodded.He glanced up to check Heather.Janice could see the near panic on his face as he jumped off of her.

Heather had collapsed in the snow.Cole landed beside her, and picked her up the upper half of her body."Heather?" he called to her, slapping her face lightly."C'mon Little Bit, talk to me."She'd held on to them too long.

Heather's eyes flickered for a second, and she whimpered."Hurts," she sobbed, and then passed out again.

Cole was almost relieved.Migraine.She needed to sleep it off.She could do that in the caves.Janice was on her feet and over by them.Good.They needed to get out of there.

"Is she going to be okay?" Janice asked.

Cole nodded."Gives her migraines," he explained."She needs to sleep it off."He took a deep breath, and then straightened his right leg, locking it.They had landed hard, and his right knee was out of socket.He wrenched it hard, flinching as it popped back into place.He stood, scooping up Heather.His knee hurt, but it was bearable.He'd had worse.

Janice was pretty amazed at that.She'd had a knee go out before, and it hurt like hell to get it back into place.She wondered if his tolerance to pain was personality or Manticore."Let me know if you need me to carry her," she told him.

"I'm fine," he snapped.Looked like he still had some regular male traits.

Cole had a flashlight in his bag, and Janice used it to lead the way.She had gotten around there before in the dark, but it was much easier to use the light.The caves twisted, sometimes doubling back on themselves, coming out near the entrance, or going straight for a wall into a dead end.They formed a maze as designed by a lunatic.Janice knew almost every inch of them.

Cole knew he was lost after about ten minutes.He thought he could get out, but pretty sure didn't count.Janice seemed to know where she was going.He was going to have to trust that she was leading them to a good place, and not setting them up for a fall.She might think his knee would slow him down, but if she double-crossed them, she'd learn quickly that physical pain could be ignored easily.

Heather wasn't moving and that worried him.Alicia had sent him to save her daughter, not hurt her while she rescued him.But, not all of the omens were bad.The weather was getting worse, and that would slow down their pursuers.Whoever was after Heather was going to know that her parents were going to show up soon enough.They knew he was there, and they would not want to attempt to tangle with three Manticore soldiers.Maybe having Heather down for a little while would be a good thing.He doubted she would have the patience to be still long enough for their pursuers to decide to leave.He knew that laying low was sometimes the best way to fight a battle.

It was marginally warmer in the caves being out of the wind, but Janice was still freezing.Cole didn't seem to be bothered, and that was annoying on its own.She hoped everything was still where it had been the last time she'd been here.After about forty minutes, there was a jag in the rock.The shadows made it look like a solid wall, but in the corner, there was a break.She slipped through it easily, wound down another corridor, making lefts and rights seemingly randomly, and then came out in a circular area that was completely closed off except for an entranceway on either side.

Cole looked around carefully when they went in.Janice immediately went to one side, knelt, and started brushing at the dirt.The "room" was about forty feet in diameter, a natural bubble in the rock.There were only two ways for someone to get in, and they were barely wide enough for a person to pass through.If someone tried to sneak up on them, they would have to go through what was nearly a perfect trap. 

"Bingo," Janice said.Cole went to her and saw what she had.There were some start sticks for a fire, and some fuel.There looked to be some other supplies there, including a first aid kit.Janice was glad to see the first aid kit.The last thing she needed was her shoulder getting infected or something, and it was still bleeding.Not as bad, but she needed to bandage it.

Cole put Heather down."Take care of your shoulder," he ordered Janice.He grabbed the start sticks, and the can of LiquiWood.All you had to do was pour it on the ground, use a start stick, and the stuff would burn like a wood fire.Much handier than trying to get a fire going in a conventional manner, and it didn't give off smoke so it could be burned in a closed environment.It had been designed for the specific purpose of being able to light a fire where the ventilation wasn't that great.As long as there was a source of some fresh air, like the entranceways, the stuff could burn forever.

Janice reached into her pocket, and pulled out her trusty Bic."You need a lighter?" she asked, looking up at him.She had to laugh when she saw the lighter in his hand.It was even the same color as hers.Even Cole grinned."I guess we were both taught by the same manuals," she said with a smile.

He had the fire going within a few seconds, and Janice wrapped her injured arm.She had really gotten lucky that the bullet only grazed her.A little further up on her shoulder was the remnant of a time she wasn't quite so lucky.At least that time she wasn't trapped in a cave with a couple of science projects.May you live in interesting times, she thought.It was an ancient Chinese curse that didn't sound so bad until you thought about it.Times were getting pretty interesting again.

She sat back against the rock, the fire already warming the room.Cole was sitting a few feet away next to Heather.She was still out, but he had her head propped on his leg, stroking her red hair.His adoration of his niece was evident.She watched them for a minute, trying to figure out the family dynamics.Obviously Heather shared some genetic traits with Cole.One of her parents had to be his brother or sister, or maybe both of her parents were in the same experimental group as Cole.Janice had referred to the others in her unit as her brothers.It could be the same with them.

"How long were you in the military before you went into research?" she asked Cole.

He looked up."What?"

She rolled her eyes."It's pretty evident you're not exactly a normal person," she replied."From everything I've seen, it's rather easy to figure out that Manticore is short for Project Manticore.Sounds like a black ops project to me.What did they do, like injections to cause the genetic changes after you went in there?"

"It's all classified," he finally said.

"My clearance is level A-9."

"It's all ancient history," he said."It doesn't need to be brought up anymore than it already has.Heather is a normal girl despite what happened to us.I don't want anyone to think of her as a freak."

"I know she's not a freak," Janice responded a little hotly.How dare he think she would hold it against Heather for what her parents did?"But I think I have a right to know what I'm risking my life over.Was Manticore something the US government did, or was it someone else?"

"U.S.," he replied, looking back down at Heather.Why was he evading the truth?Anyone with an "A" level clearance was high enough to know about Manticore.He knew why.He didn't want to hear her response.Anyone who found out was first shocked, and then horrified that he even existed.They didn't want him anywhere near them after that.They couldn't deal with something that he'd had no say over.Cole didn't care what Janice thought about him personally, but he didn't want Heather to get hurt.

"I get it now," Janice said, trying to piece everything together."Heather's parents were part of your group.They did the unthinkable and ended up having a couple of kids together, and now someone wants to get their hands on the product of genetically enhanced parents."

"Heather's genetically enhanced," Cole said, looking at her with cold eyes."Her parents, and me, are genetically engineered."

"What's the diff…" Janice began, and then it hit her.Engineered?As in built from the ground up?Manticore wasn't there to train soldiers; it was there to breed them.The United States had allowed people to be bred like that?She thought about some of the more sinister things she had been called upon to do.It was possible.There were people who would love to do that.

"You were born there, weren't you?" she asked softly.

He nodded."Taught to be the ultimate solider from the time I could walk.We are in fact human-animal hybrids."He waited for the disgust.

"What animal?"He looked back up at Janice with that question.She wasn't sickened.She was curious.

"Depends on the X group," he replied."Heather's father is X-5.He's a cat hybrid, but there may be some other animal DNA mixed in there with a few of them.Her mother and I are X-6 which is still cat, but they threw in some lizard DNA to the mix."Janice was still looking fascinated."This doesn't freak you out in the slightest?"

She thought for a minute."It's rather sickening that our government would do that to innocent children, but I've seen some hideous black ops things go down.I can think of a dozen men in power now that would love to have a bunch of genetically engineered soldiers."She paused."So why are you a pilot and not off assassinating people or something?"

He wasn't sure how to explain."It's a long story," he said."Manticore collapsed under its own weight, and the soldiers were assigned to different branches of the government.I wanted to fly."

"And Shadow wanted to be a medic?"

Cole smiled."Shawna wanted to be a doctor, but she wouldn't have been able to deal with being around regular norms all of the time.One of the men who she works with had seen another X-6 in action before, and knew how to deal with Shawna.So she was put with norms, but they weren't the everyday type.They were closer to us, and it was easier for her to adapt to that lifestyle than working in a military hospital.She was mad at first, but she loves it now."

"I heard that the South Africans tried genetic engineering and using mechanical implants, but it blew out years ago," Janice commented.Cole looked a little smug.She was willing to bet that Manticore had something to do with the failure."Has anyone else ever managed to…" how did she word without being offensive, "duplicate Manticore research?"

Now he grinned.He could see her running through the right words there.Build another solider, engineer something like you…those just were rude-sounding.Not that he'd never heard them before, but it was funny she was trying to be delicate about it.Most of the people he'd dealt with were not polite about his genetic code.When the sixers were together, it was easy to blow off rude comments, but without them as backup, it was tougher.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he replied.Janice caught the humor in his voice.She wasn't sure what was so amusing, but she did notice that he was rather good-looking when he smiled.How old was he anyways?

"You mean there's something more fantastic than the US genetically engineering the perfect soldier, and one of their offspring is my student?" she tossed back at him.

"The Chinese managed to build the body," he said, "but they knew from Manticore that an independently thinking soldier wasn't the best idea, so they tried to make them into living automatons."Janice winced thinking of the possibilities of that.On assignments, you had to be able to think fast on your feet."It didn't work in a most spectacular way," Cole continued."The only people who were ever successful other than us were the Canadians."

Janice stared at him."The Canadians?There's the Russians, and the European States, and the British, and you're saying that out of all of them the Canadians figured it out?"

Cole let out a little laugh."Let's just say, before the Pulse, they had everyone fooled into thinking their military strength was weak.Most people thought if attacked they would use flying hockey pucks as defense.In reality, their R & D in this field was years ahead of everyone except Manticore."

"So did they join the Manticore fold too?"

Cole shook his head."The Pulse killed Project Hades.Literally.There were equipment failures or something like that and the researchers and most of the prototypes were destroyed."He paused."Manticore was the only group with the ability to take down anything they had left alive, so they did some clean up on Hades."

"They killed their prototypes?" Janice had to ask.That was sickening.The Hades prototypes had to have been children at the time of the Pulse.

"I wasn't there when they did the clean up," he replied.She looked a little doubtful.'I wasn't there' was a standard lie in the CIA.He grinned at her."I was seven when the Pulse hit.That's a little young even for Manticore standards.I think some of them survived.Nothing was found in the research facilities, and there were a lot of things missing from there, including some genetically engineered children."

Janice let out her breath.She hadn't realized that she had been rooting for the kids to escape until she heard they had.She laughed."My horoscope said I would meet an interesting man today," she said.

"Interesting?" Cole said, amused."Lady, I'm about as interesting as they get."


	14. History

They were quiet for a moment

They were quiet for a moment.Heather stirred, and then fell back asleep."Is she really going to be alright?" Janice asked.The kid was totally out of it.Was it good for her to be sleeping like that?

"Our natural instinct is to sleep when injured," Cole replied."She's regenerating everything that was damaged."

"You're not sleeping," Janice pointed out, indicating his knee.

Cole shrugged."I'm just a little older and better trained than her," he said."I want to sleep," he admitted, "but I'm not going to."There was another pause."So you never explained exactly how a CIA operative ends up teaching high school gym," he said conversationally.

She looked away.Six months wasn't nearly long enough to keep it from hurting when she thought of everything she had lost.She had given it up willingly for her team, but it still hurt."You mean you don't know everything already?" she said, trying to joke, but falling far short of humor.

"Actually I did try to find out what happened to the illustrious Nightshade," Cole replied."There was somebody who wanted to know why you disappeared, but when I got the records, they were all censored.Someone wanted you gone and everything that went with you."

She wasn't sure why, but Cole was easier to talk to than most.Maybe it was his earlier candor.Of course in the last six months, she had kept to herself not wanting to be close to anyone.She couldn't have any further contact with the four people that she had been the closest to for so many years.It was the agreement she'd made.Maybe it was because Cole was a little like them.He'd been in some hellacious situations, and Janice knew he must have had to do things that regular people would find wrong.Right, wrong…it was all subjective.

"We operate in five man teams," she said.Cole nodded.He knew that."If I was considered good, it was because of my team.We were tight.There was nothing that could stop the five of us when we worked together.It was like being part of the same person, you know what that's like?"

"I did," he said softly.It gave her the encouragement to continue.

She smiled bitterly."It seems so stupid.You'd think there would be some huge international conspiracy that I got involved with and that's what happened.Instead it was a matter of honor.Honor and loyalty to my brothers."

"One of the men I worked with, Kevin, was married to a diplomatic liaison.She spoke like nine languages and knew the customs of most of the major countries.She worked with the ambassadors coming in from other countries, helping them however they needed it, that sort of thing.Melissa was so sweet.She was always patient and understanding, and if there was one thing Kevin loved more than her, it was their little boy.He lived for them."

"Then a new diplomat came to the States, and she was assigned to helping him.He decided she would make an admirable mistress and propositioned her.She said no.He insisted.She refused."Janice sighed, wondering for the millionth time why didn't Melissa come to one of them.They could have done something.It could have been ended then without any real problems.

"Then one night she didn't come home from work.Kevin was going nuts for a few days while we all looked, and then…then…" Janice broke off.It still hurt.It wasn't like one more body should trouble her conscience, but Melissa was special.She didn't deserve what had happened to her."To make a long story short," she continued, "we found out the diplomat raped and killed her.He had diplomatic immunity and there wasn't a damn thing that could be done.There were so many political implications that the US government couldn't even expel him as an undesirable.Kevin was told to drop it."

She snorted."He was told that the situation was too "politically unstable" for them to pursue.We fight and die for the good ol' US of A, and in return?Nothing."Her eyes met Cole's.Whatever had happened to him, he seemed to understand.Maybe he did better than her."I was not going to let it go.Kevin was the one who said we were all brothers, even the one with a skirt.Kevin had his son to look out for.Out of the four of us, any one would have done what I did.I was the first with the opportunity.The honor was mine, and I took it," she said with a fury.

"Who was it?" Cole asked.No wonder this had all been censored out.CIA brass would not want anyone to know that their people had more loyalty to each other than the government.The panic must have been pretty similar to when "Alicia" escaped from the base in Utah.Loyalty lay within.The rest of the world could go to hell.That's why they were all separated when Manticore was dissolved.Two or maybe three might see each other, but not all of them ever again.

"Nicolae Riespian," she replied, feeling vaguely pleased at the shock on Cole's face.Riespian had been the President of the European Coalition for six years, and then became the ambassador to the US.The post there was to get him familiar to the American leaders, and then he was going to be posted to the UN.He was extremely charismatic, and the possibility of him becoming the Secretary-General of the United Nations was very high.He came from a very wealthy family who had intense political ties all over Europe, and they were pushing behind the scenes for this to all happen.It would have happened.

"Didn't he die in a car accident?" Cole said."Lost control when going too fast around some steep turns."

She shrugged."Easy to lose control of the wheel when you got a bullet in the head."

Cole had to laugh."You took that bastard out, and you're are still alive?I'm impressed."

That had to be the first time Janice ever told someone out of her team that she had taken a mark, and they responded with "I'm impressed".Then again, look at whom she was talking to."I figured I would be killed," she said."But I…arranged a few things.Things that would be very embarrassing to his family if they came out in a murder investigation, and they would come out.I was told to very quietly leave the CIA, and I guess they destroyed all records of what he did, and why I killed him."

"Remind me not to piss you off," Cole said.

She smiled, feeling much better,"Ditto," she replied.


	15. Quitting Time

Janice got up, and went back to where the supply box was

Janice got up, and went back to where the supply box was.She dug through it to the bottom, and found the ration bars at the bottom.They were high-energy, lasted forever, and were marginally edible.There were some bottles of water there, and she blessed whoever remembered to leave the place the way they found it.She grabbed a few, and sat back down near Cole.

"Hungry?" she asked, offering him a bar.

"Always," he replied, accepting it.He'd had plenty of these in his life.They could sustain life, but not one worth living.Still, they satiated hunger.It never ceased to amaze Cole the amount of food a Manticore required.Maybe they just tended to be more active and needed more calories to compensate, but he was always munching on something.Alicia had always stunned norms with the amount of food she could consume.When they were in high school she could put the big football players to shame.

Cole leaned back, his eyes mostly shut while he evaluated the situation.His knee was swollen and hurt like hell, but he couldn't allow himself to sleep it off.The situation was bad, but it was far from grim.Janice could easily decide to sell them out to save herself, especially with her knowing he was injured.Still, he knew a little more about her now.Nightshade was nearly legendary and invulnerable.Janice Miller had weak points.Dad had taught them to use weaknesses.She showed any signs of selling out, he'd ask her if she'd like to see Kevin's little boy sent to her one piece at a time.It had been a while since he'd had to do something really nasty like that, but he was still more than capable of doing it.In his mind Heather's safety was far more important than any other child's.

He hoped that she was going to play straight with him though.She had grit, and he had to admire the way she had tried to protect Heather when they met up.He had told her about Manticore so that she wouldn't go looking into it on her own.His version was much more palatable than what it was really like, and he knew he could make it seem like they were just normal people with revved abilities.He was still expecting some disgust or fear.She had just dealt with it.Pretty rare to find someone that could.

Janice sighed, and his eyes flicked open.She caught his gaze, and let out an embarrassed little laugh."Didn't mean to disturb you," she said."I was just thinking this was one of those days when I really regret quitting smoking."

He had to smile."I know what you mean," he replied.

She thought about that for a second."Wait a minute," she said sounding incredulously amused."Are you telling me that the US government pours billions of dollars into creating the perfect body for the perfect soldier, and he damages it by smoking?"

"I appreciate the compliment," he said, and she immediately blushed.He'd been referring to the perfect solider remark.Wasn't she being facetious about the perfect body remark?Had she checked him out?Cole really wished he could read her better."But," he continued, "it helped at the time.I actually haven't had one in almost fifteen years.I think if someone offered me one right now, I'd probably grab the whole pack from him."

She laughed."I quit about five years ago," she said."I think we'd have to race for that pack today though."She was so glad he didn't say anything else about her "complimenting" him.He had unzipped his coat, and she did have to admit he had a nice body, genetically engineered or not.He was too mature to be described as cute, but he was attractive, especially when he smiled.She could tell that not all of his smiles were real ones though.The real ones touched his eyes, the rest were a façade.She liked the real ones better.

Cole looked thoughtful for a moment."Five years?" he muttered."Isn't that about the time of that little incident in Cairo?" he asked her directly.

Janice shrugged."What can I say, I was going through nicotine withdrawal.I warned them to stay out of my way.They chose not to, and well, it was better than breaking my promise to quit."

Cole had to laugh thinking about one of the greatest upheavals in the world of cloak and dagger being caused by nicotine withdrawal."What about you?" she asked."I can just imagine the amount of ass getting kicked when the genetically engineered starts wanting a cigarette."

"Actually, Heather made me quit," he replied."I was sitting beside her in the car, and she was about eighteen months old, and she grabbed the pack from my pocket, sniffed them, and yelled out, "Uncle Cole, yucky!" and threw them out the window.After that, I just didn't want to anymore."

"That's just disgusting," Janice said.That was so not fair.It had nearly killed her to quit, and he just stopped wanting too.

She was pretty Cole decided suddenly, watching that look of envy. Whoa…that came out of left field.She was a couple of inches shorter than him, tall for a woman, but she carried it without looking masculine like some of the other tall women he knew.When he saw her at the Pentagon, her dark hair was severely short, but now she was letting it grow out.It brushed her shoulder, a few of the wisps twisting into natural curls around her face.But it was her eyes that were the most magnetic.They were a very deep brown, the heavy fringe of eyelashes making them almost unfathomable, but he had a feeling they were very expressive when her guard was down.

If he didn't have to kill her, he just might ask her out when this was all over.


	16. Move Out

They had been in the cavern for over an hour when Heather started to wake up

They had been in the cavern for over an hour when Heather started to wake up.She reminded Cole of a kitten being woken up.He wasn't sure if that was just her personality or the feline DNA coming out, but it was cute to watch.Heather yawned, her eyes still closed, and stretched out her arms and legs straight from her body, just like a cat would.Her eyes blinked a few times, and she let out a big sigh as they opened and stayed that way.

Heather was feeling pretty good when she woke up.She could remember "catching" Uncle Cole and Ms. Miller, and holding them, and then there was this silver bolt of sheer agony, and everything went black.Now she was warm and comfy, and she could feel Cole playing with her hair.She had always liked it when he scratched her head.When she was little and he would stay with them for Christmas, she would put in her favorite Christmas movie, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and sit on his lap and he would lightly scratch her head the whole time.

She sat up slowly, feeling a wave of dizziness overcome her.Cole's arm was immediately around her shoulders to steady her."Feeling better?" he asked.

She looked up at her uncle and smiled."I think so," she replied.She blinked a few times."Did I drop you?"

"Not bad," Cole responded, hoping Janice would get the hint and not say anything about his knee."I've handled worse."Not by much, and not when holding someone else.

Janice was a little amused by the way Cole treated his niece.They had been talking about some of the things they'd done, and beneath the humor, she was seeing a man who could be absolutely ruthless when he wanted to be.But he was extraordinarily gentle with this young girl, both physically and mentally.He didn't want to upset her that she had gotten him hurt.He was a very complex individual.

Heather looked around and smiled, feeling pleased with herself."We made it," she declared proudly.

"We made it into the caves," Cole clarified.They weren't out of the woods, literally and figuratively, by a long shot.If he knew Alicia would be here soon, he would feel better, but she had no idea exactly where they were in the mountains.He did not like feeling vulnerable.

"It's a start," Heather countered.The bad guys were going to give up soon.Ms. Miller said there was no way they could find them in these caves.Mom and dad were going to be here, and there wasn't anyone who would want to try and go against all four of them at the same time.Ms. Miller could help too.She really kicked ass earlier, and she was a real good shot.Heather looked at her uncle and teacher.Wait a sec; they were sitting kind of close there.Before Heather actually fully woke up, she was in a little bit of a doze state where she could hear them.They had been talking and laughing and stuff like that.

"So, um, you two didn't like make out or anything when I was asleep did you?" she asked brightly.She had never been reserved when it came to asking Cole absolutely anything, and if he didn't want to answer honestly, he would tell her he wasn't going to answer.Usually he just gave her an honest answer to her question, no matter what it was.

"Heather!" they both said in unison, embarrassed at her question.Janice was shocked she would even ask such a thing from them.Cole was more amused, but a little embarrassed anyways.When Heather wanted to know something, she normally waited until they were alone.Then again, Heather and shy were two words that just didn't go together.He'd just been lucky before that she waited until they were alone.

"Hey!" she defended herself."Mom said her and dad kissed for the first time when they had been alone for a while together on a train.You two are looking all kinds of cozy there, and I'm just wondering if I should just knock myself back out again 'cause my uncle and teacher, that's just wrong."

It took every once of discipline for Cole to keep from laughing.Yeah, he supposed Alicia and Zack had kissed on that train.Kissed, possibly conceived Daniel, it was just a matter of detail.Alicia had told him the entire story, including everything that she didn't put in her official report, a couple of days after they had returned back to the base after the Red Disposable fiasco.He had to look away from Heather or he was going to die laughing.His eyes met Janice's for a moment, and she could see the genuine humor in them.

"Actually," Janice said firmly, wanting to change the topic.She had moved closer to Cole to show him a small tattoo on her wrist that was part of a story she was telling, and she had just not moved away.Maybe they were looking a little cozy, but Cole didn't move away either."I was about to ask if all of you were telekinetic."It would explain why they could jump like they could, especially with the cat DNA.

"I'm a nomaly," Heather announced proudly.She liked being unique."Daniel and the weasels are telepaths, but I'm special."

"Out of all of you, there's just one telekinetic?" Janice asked.From what Cole described there were quite a few Manticore-bred people running around.Statistically there should be more than one telekinetic.

"Only the X-7 group has ESP abilities," Cole clarified for her."And since there are only four X-7's out there, chances are Heather will be the only kinetic in the bunch."

"Then what happened with you?" Janice asked him.Outside, she heard him muttering about one of the men that were after him like he was reading the guy's mind.He had been reading the guy's mind.

"I'm…"Cole smiled, a touch of bitterness in that smile, "I'm the nomaly within the X-6 group.The genetics that were supposed to be latent in us, they aren't in me."

Janice crossed her arms."So what am I thinking now?"

He shrugged."You've got an enormous amount of mental shielding, and I'm not in the mood to pick through it," he said.She looked at him a little skeptically.Was he trying to get her to relax and not try and hide her thoughts?"You really do," he repeated."It's actually almost as much as a Manticore has which is pretty impressive for a norm."

Janice wasn't sure if she'd just been insulted or complimented."So you can't read a Manticore mind?"

"I can if they drop their guard," he answered."Sometimes they'll accidentally project a thought if it's real strong, or if they're fighting and forget to protect their thoughts while their bodies are distracted.But, most norms don't guard their thoughts at all, and they're very easy to read."

Janice was about to say something when Cole held up his hand sharply, the smile gone, and a look of serious concentration replacing it.His head cocked slightly, like he was listening to something or someone.Heather strained to hear, but she couldn't make out anything.Cole closed his eyes, and then Heather understood.He was hearing thoughts, not sounds.Cole blocked out his sensory perceptions, sight, feel, smell, taste and concentrated on mind only.

"They're coming," he said softly.

"Chances of them finding this place are almost zero," Janice whispered.

"They have a guide," Cole said.His eyes were still shut."Don't trust him," he muttered, catching snatches of thought."Just in it for money…not one of them…American…might help the other one…" Cole cut off, his eyes snapping open.He couldn't make sense out of all of what he was reading, and he didn't have to."Time to get moving again," he said firmly, getting to his feet painfully.His knee was throbbing, but he was going to have to ignore it for now.

Janice and Heather got up as well.If someone were coming, then they would be better on the outside.Janice was worried more though.There were only four people who knew these caves as well as she did, well enough to find this place, but she couldn't see any of them turning traitor.They wouldn't.They couldn't.Would they?


	17. Heading Out

Cole was shouldering his bag of toys when Janice suddenly took off at a dead run, and jumped as high as she could up one wall

Cole was shouldering his bag of toys when Janice suddenly took off at a dead run, and jumped as high as she could up one wall.There was a small outcropping forming a ledge about ten feet off of the main floor, and she managed to climb the extra few feet and swing herself over the top of it.Cole and Heather both look sharply up at her, trying to figure out what she was trying to do.

Janice pried a lid open and then picked something up smiling as she showed it to them."Whoever the guide is might know these caves, but there's only one person in the world that knew about this stuff up here," she said.Cole could only look at her admiringly as she held up the chunk of plastic explosive.He had no doubt that it was the stuff that had come out about two years ago, J-092, stable in all weather conditions, and it had been properly sealed and stored.He really hoped he wasn't going to have to kill her.She thought he was interesting?She was by far the most interesting woman he'd met in years.

"You're not planning on causing a cave-in here?" Heather asked hesitantly.Janice raised an eyebrow at Cole and he shrugged.

"She wasn't trained to be a soldier," he explained.He looked at his niece."We set them off at the mouth of the cave when we get out.Bad guys get trapped in, and we run like hell back to the resort."Heather looked a little doubtful.

"Won't they have people there?" she asked worriedly.Seattle was the only safe place she could think of at the moment.

"Probably," Cole replied."That's why they're so determined to get you now.I'm willing to bet by now their people have reported there are two new arrivals that are very worried, very angry, and they know what happened the last time one of them got worried and angry over her kids being messed with."

Janice tossed the explosives and the blast rods down to Cole.She sat down on the ledge.Getting down was always the tricky part.The rocks right on the edge were loose so she had to be careful not to put her weight on one that would give way before she was ready.She knew the ten-foot fall wouldn't kill her, but a twisted ankle from an uncontrolled fall would slow her down and today that would get her killed.The best way to get down was to kneel on the edge, hold onto the rocks, and drop down.She'd dangle for a second, and then let go, falling the additional four feet or so to the floor.

Janice knelt, grabbed the rocks that looked the most stable, and kicked her knees over the edge.The rocks slid."SHIT!" she yelled as she felt the stones moved out from their place.Not another fall today!Not enough time to…

Arms around her.One second she was tumbling, and then she was still.Cole had caught her.She couldn't help blushing a little.She was normally not clumsy.Well, this wasn't really clumsiness, but, hell, she'd never had a man catch her so easily like this either.Oh God, he was smiling.A real one at that.

"Thanks," she managed to get out.

"No problem," he replied."You okay?"She nodded.He suddenly realized that he was still holding her, and set her down.Neither of them noticed Heather roll her eyes behind them.They needed to get out of the caves and back into the cold weather.That should be the same as hosing those two off.

Cole suddenly looked away from Janice and had that "listening" look again."They're getting real close," he said."They heard something.Yell.Yeah, getting close. Closing off thoughts, getting ready for a fight."He looked back at Janice."Fastest way out of here?"

She thought for half a second."Can you climb?" she asked, thinking about his knee.He nodded."Okay, follow me then."

They grabbed their gear and started to move fast through the caves.Janice knew right where she was heading.There was a sheer wall, difficult but not impossible to climb, and then an opening to the outside.It was going to be harder to do in the dark, but she was familiar with it, and Cole and Heather should be able to see the handholds just fine.The opening was in a different place than where they'd come in, so she was confident there wouldn't be anyone around there.Hell, her and her team had only found the place from the inside last year.

They made it to the wall in a little over twenty minutes.Heather had started to worry about Cole.He was walking funny, like he was hurt or something.Ms. Miller had asked him if he would be able to climb.Did she know something that they didn't want to tell her?Heather knew she wouldn't be able to lift Ms. Miller or Uncle Cole if there was a problem.Maybe a little bit up, but not all the way.Her head had stopped hurting, but it was going to be much worse if she expended herself like that again so soon.Maybe something serious.

The wall was a two hundred foot vertical climb.The wall was rough, forming plenty of hand and foot holds, but it was still two hundred feet straight up, and Janice had never done it before in the dark without any safety lines.Cole wasn't looking very pleased either.He could normally climb anything without difficulty, but he was really hurting and they had a long ways to go.Suck it up, he ordered himself.Pain is not relevant to the mission.

Heather wasn't worried about the climb.She had scaled up the side of Foggle Towers much further than this before when Janna and the twins had decided to interpret Aunt Max telling the trio that they weren't allowed out the front door to mean they could go out a window.Heather had gone after them to get them back in the penthouse before Max or Logan noticed those little hell-raisers were gone.It had been dark then too.At least this time she wasn't going to have to telekinetically hold a twin over the edge of the building and threaten to squish him if he ever pulled that stunt again.

Janice strapped the flashlight to her and then they all started up the wall.Heather easily jumped into the lead, her enhanced vision easily making out the best holds on the wall and her extreme coordination and strength letting her move quickly up it.This was much easier than getting up the side of Uncle Logan and Aunt Max's place.Nobody was throwing anything at her.Uncle Cole might have had tough training, but he never had to deal with Janna and the weasels doing their best not to get caught.

Heather made it up the wall in a matter of minutes.She glanced down.Cole was keeping pace with Janice.Heather frowned.Either he was intentionally going very slowly, or he was hurt.She was willing to bet the latter.Men, she thought angrily.They always have to be tough guys.Can't admit it when they're hurt.

A cold breeze blew in and she took a deep breath of the fresh air.She really needed some fresh air.Uncle Cole would be up here in just a second, so it wouldn't be a big deal if she stepped outside.There wasn't anyone to know they had come out this way anyways.Bedsides, she couldn't yell down and ask for permission.A bad guy could hear her, and they would all come running.She slipped out the opening in the rock into the bright daylight.

She blinked a few times to adjust to the light.The snow had stopped and the sun was out now.She gasped slightly, and pressed herself against the rock.There was a lone man sitting on a snowmobile maybe fifty feet away, but he wasn't looking at her.He was looking at a small box.He took off his sunglasses, looked at the box again, and then keyed a comm. device hooked to his shoulder.

"Search and Rescue base, this is S & R Hamilton.I'm checking the Deverse Caves before moving on."Heather's eyes widened.It was Jonathan!

Jon had gone back to a ranger station to wait out the storm, and then grabbed a snowmobile to search again.He'd studied maps of the area, and thought that the Deverse Caves would be a good place to wait out the snow for whoever had Heather.It was only a little over a mile from where he'd found her bracelet, and it made sense they would go there.If they knew about the caves.He reasoned that they probably did.Heather had disappeared without a trace, and that showed the kidnappers had planned well.They probably knew the area.

So, as soon as the snow slowed, he'd strapped his skis to the snowmobile, and taken off.He'd come to an entrance, and was checking his map.It was computerized with a GPS unit attached so he knew he couldn't get lost, despite how he was feeling right now.Still, looking at this entrance he decided that there was no way anyone could use this one.There was a small level area and then a sheer drop.It wasn't the way you'd want to go carrying an unwilling person.Unless she was hurt too bad to resist, he thought, a knot forming in his stomach.No, he wasn't going to think like that.He was going to find her.

"Jon?" a voice said from his right.He glanced up, for a moment annoyed that he was being interrupted.He wanted to make sure he was heading the right way to the cave entrance he wanted to check out.He almost fell off the snowmobile.Heather was standing there, alone and unhurt.

He jumped off the snowmobile and ran to her as she emerged from the cave.She smiled big, very glad to see a friendly face.Jon scooped her up in a big hug before he could even think about what he was doing.It wasn't the coolest thing to do to a girl you were interested in, but the situation at hand was breaking down the set-in-stone high school rules of behavior.She hugged him back just as hard, glad to see someone that wasn't trying to kill or sell her.

"Are you okay?What happened?" he asked quickly."Is Ms. Miller with you?"

Instead of answering she flung both of them to the ground, a spray of gunfire peppering the rock behind them a microsecond later.


	18. Ambush

Cole and Janice were about five feet from the top when the gunfire echoed down to them

Cole and Janice were about five feet from the top when the gunfire echoed down to them.They both froze for half a second, and then Janice couldn't believe the incredible speed that Cole suddenly moved at.He'd been going slowly to keep from hurting his knee further, but now, he was just a blur throwing himself over the top.Janice stepped up the pace as fast as she could, but he was gone before she could reach the top.How the hell did they know about this place?

Heather and Jon had landed in the snow a few feet from the opening to the face.This really sucked.She thought Mr. Abram's chemistry final sucked?This whole day surpassed that by a very, very wide margin.Now Jonathan was in trouble too!She tensed, waiting for the next volley of gunfire that wasn't going to miss.

Someone grabbed her and a second later she was back in the cave, sprawled on the floor with Jonathan beside her.Cole was glaring at her, standing over them.Oh, great, now he was mad at her.

"I just wanted some air!" she tried to protest.

"Do not move until I give permission!" he growled furiously at her, trying to calm his racing heart.He had only seen her face down in the snow after hearing the gunfire, and for a moment thought she was dead.Before he could really think, his mind registered the lack of blood, and he had thrown her and someone new in the cave.Now who was this?

His eye's locked onto Jon's and in less than three seconds he knew everything he needed to know about the kid.Wasn't the enemy.Was doing search and rescue to find Heather.Interested in her.Hmmm…Cole was going to have to watch that.Scared out of his mind.No clue what was going on.Wanted to communicate with base.Snowmobile outside.Scared of him…that was good.Wanted to help Heather…protect her.Not so good.He was going to get hurt trying to do that.

Janice flipped herself over the ledge, breathing hard.Heather was there, safe, Cole was looking furious, and…what was Jonathan Hamilton doing here?She had a feeling she was going to be sending out resumes when this was all over.In the meantime, she unslung her rifle.

"Situation?" she asked Cole abruptly.His eyes fell on her coldly.

"They were waiting for us," he said, his tone colder than the wind."Men below, men above, the perfect ambush," he stated, the accusation plain.

Anger fired in her eyes.After everything, he was accusing her of setting them up?"You want to accuse me of something, soldier, than say it," she snapped back at him.She was sick of this, and sick of him.She was the one in trouble for his niece.She could have gotten a good night's sleep and his precious Heather would have been halfway to some lab by now.The mercenaries obviously had an expert tracker, and the two of them, on foot, would have either frozen in the snowstorm or been caught within a very short time.

"Down!" Heather suddenly yelled harshly, her commanding tone something only Cole recognized.He'd heard it before from another mouth a long time ago.Both his and Janice's bodies responded to the command, dropping to the ground before their minds could question the order.A split second later, two high-pitched cracks reached their ears, the bullets from the sniper's rifle already burying themselves in the rocks right behind where Cole and Janice had been standing.

Cole's bag was within arm's reach of Heather.She reached in and grabbed exactly what she wanted.She whipped the gun out, her telescopic vision acting as the perfect riflescope, and fired three times, seeing the sniper reel backwards as the bullets made contact.He fell into the snow and lay still.Using enhanced vision dulled colors, but the amount of red against the white snow was enough to let her know the sniper was very dead.

There was dead silence for a second.Heather looked over at the two adults, shock and horror at what she had just done on her face, and something else as well, something almost primal.Cole understood, and Janice did as well."I don't care who did what," Heather said firmly."I want to go home," she said slowly.

Cole and Janice were still flat on the ground.They both knew it was only a matter of a few minutes until the mercenaries repositioned themselves and would be able to take shots into the cave again.There weren't going to be any more lucky misses.Cole silently blessed Zack for teaching Heather how to shoot, despite Alicia's objections.

Cole had caught enough from Jon to know he had a snowmobile and skis.With luck, the mercenaries hadn't destroyed it.Distraction was needed.Janice had the right stuff for it."The kid's got a ride.You still have the J-092?" he asked her.Her eyes lit up.She knew what he was talking about.It was right up her alley.

"With contact blasts of course," she replied.The contact blasts were nasty little things.They looked a little like a round band-aid.You slapped them on a ball of explosive, and throw.Three seconds later, there was a nice explosion that would take out everything in a five foot radius.They were designed to do pinpoint damage.

Janice had put the explosives in Cole's bag before they had left the cavern.She moved fast to it, keeping low, while Cole went to Heather.Cole was slightly impressed with Jon.He was terrified, but his mind wasn't in a panic, and he was keeping his mouth shut.He looked at them both, wanting their undivided attention.He didn't like the best plan available, but it was the only way out.

"How far is it to the lodge on your ride?" he asked Jon.

"Uh…a couple of hours, sir," he replied, not sure what the best thing to say was.Who was this guy anyways?Maybe it would have been better for him to stay home that weekend.

Cole addressed Heather."We'll divert.You're going with him.Go fast, stay low, and don't stop for anyone no matter what they say or who you think they are.Your parents are there by now so you'll be safe."

"Uncle Cole, what about you?" she asked.

"You don't worry about me," he replied."I've been in tighter places."He had.His last trip to Italy before Manticore dissolved had been very tight, but this was a close second.

He looked back at Jon."Can you do it?"

Jon nodded firmly, his young-male pride evoked."Yes, sir," he said.This was her uncle.Was that good?God, she had just shot someone.Yeah, he was trying to shoot them, but she totally wasted the guy.Rich girls rarely knew how to blow someone away like that.Ms. Miller was acting all Army all of a sudden.Uncle was downright scary.And Heather…Heather was getting cooler by the minute.Nobody in the history of the world could have ever had a girlfriend like she could be.

Janice moved up to them, and handed Cole three small balls of clay."You better know the drill," she said quickly."Slap, throw, run like hell."

Heather saw Jon gaping at Ms. Miller.She knew how he was feeling.The day before she had been a rather uninteresting teacher."Think about that the next time the guys start screwing around in gym," she whispered.His mouth tightened and she knew he was trying to keep from laughing.This whole thing was just too much.

"Heather and I do the first tosses," Cole said, the plan formulating as he went along."Janice, rifle coverage, Jon, get Heather the hell out of here."

Jon's eyes widened.How did he know his name?Everyone called him Jonathan.He called himself Jon.Before he could question how Cole knew the name he called himself only in his head, they were all getting up, moving into position.He was going to have to ask Heather about that later.

Cole and Janice were on one side of the entrance, Heather and Jon at the other.Cole and Heather could see easily the layout and how the mercenaries were arranging themselves.Heather had a feeling they were in a holding pattern until their ringleader showed up.They were just there to keep the Manticore-ling pinned until she could negotiate.Everyone else lives if Heather would just give up quietly.If all else failed…no, don't think like that.Think success.

Cole glanced over at Janice by his side."We grab their rides and lead them away from the kids," he whispered to her.She nodded.And he keeps me away from his niece, she thought bitterly.He makes sure I don't know where she is, and he can keep an eye on me.It was too late to back out now.

Cole held up his hand and started a countdown.Three…two…one…GO!Heather and Cole moved together, slapping the contacts on the explosives and throwing them into the mercenaries with absolute precision.The first explosions kicked up snow in a white haze, bodies flying in the sudden pandemonium.The foursome moved out fast, Janice spraying bullets into anything that was moving, and Jon leading Heather to his snowmobile.It was parked a little further out than the mercenaries' radius, and he was determined to get to it, the only sane thing that was around here anymore.

Cole knew right off that he wasn't moving fast enough.Pain was already arcing through his knee and up his leg, but he was just going to have to ignore it for now.He tossed another bomb into a nest of assailants, the explosion, throwing them like dolls. He thought there were maybe a dozen left.Too many.Janice had stopped shooting.No ammo.Time to do it the hard way.

Heather had Jon's hand and they were running hard for the snowmobile.She knew they wouldn't take any shots at her.She was the valuable one.She was too close to Jonathan for them to try and shoot him.Three men came after her, one grabbing Jonathan, yanking him away from her and throwing him to the ground.Free from him, she could switch to top speed, leaping over two of the men and doing a spinning kick as she came down, striking one in the head, and knocking him into the other one.Her movements were a blur as she struck several more times until they were both bloody.

The third had a tazer.He brought it up, and Jon jumped him from behind, his well-muscled arms locking around the guy's neck.The guy was way to big for Jon to fight fairly, and considering the situation; Marquis of Queensbury rules went right out the window.He squeezed tight, cutting off the airflow, and then kicked him hard in the kidneys.Jon had been hit there once and it was almost as bad as getting racked.The guy would have groaned, but he couldn't breathe. He dropped the tazer, and started struggling with the arms around his throat.

Suddenly Heather was there, having disposed of the other two.Jon added, "Where did you learn to fight like that" to his list of questions that he was going to be asking Heather when this was over.In two hard kicks, the guy was unconscious, and they were running again.They got to the snowmobile, luck was with them, it hadn't been tampered with.Heather had a second to look over her shoulder.Uncle Cole and Ms. Miller hadn't made it to the mercenaries' snowmobiles yet.She couldn't leave them!She went to get off of the snowmobile, but two shots rang out.She ducked for a second, and Jonathan was already tearing off into the woods.

"We can't go yet!" she yelled at him."Uncle Cole is still…" more shots cut her off.The whine of snowmobiles was behind them as some of the mercenaries started giving chase.If they turned around, they were going to have to go back into the line of fire.She was going to have to take care of herself, and let Uncle Cole take care of himself.She wanted to go back and make sure, but something inside said that doing so would be suicide.Uncle Cole was trained to survive.She was going to have to make sure Jonathan survived.


	19. Double-Cross

Cole felt a moment of savage glee when he heard them taking off

Cole felt a moment of savage glee when he heard them taking off.When she got to her parents, nobody was going to be able to touch her.Cole knew Alicia made him look timid when it came to someone messing with her kids.She had proven that point once before.

The explosions had disoriented several of the men that weren't killed outright.There were snowmobiles over to the right and he and Janice made for them fast.Three men on the snowmobiles were taking off after the kids, and there were more.They couldn't risk shooting and hitting one of their own.It was hand-to-hand combat now.Four men went after Cole with a vengeance.He couldn't do high jumps right now because his knee wouldn't allow landings.Not good.He was still fast, but he was moving at fast human speed rather than Manticore speed.For a second the air seemed to be filled with flying fists and legs as they all attacked at once.

Janice was trying to get through the melee as best she could.The guys were bigger, but she was faster.One attacked and she dropped low, her kick catching him in the knee, hearing it shatter with a satisfying crunch.Her rifle was empty, but it still made a great weapon as she swung it into another man's skull.Someone grabbed her arm, and she twisted fast into him, her elbow driving into his ribs.He grunted, and shoved her forward into another man.He managed to grab her, his leg flying into her midsection, knocking the wind out of her.She fell towards the ground, but still managed to drive a punch directly into his groin.He gasped, but someone else grabbed her from behind, twisting her arm viciously behind her.There was a hard kick to her back, and she was slammed hard into the rocks, her vision blurring for a moment as she hit the ground.

Cole was holding his own, but not gaining ground.He was too strong for them to take out, but he wasn't moving well enough to get away from the sheer crush of them.Suddenly, one of them made a lucky kick and slammed into the side of his knee.He was on the ground before he knew it.There was a low zapping sound, one he knew all too well.He was on his feet, but not fast enough.The tazers hit him from two directions, electricity arching his body, throwing him backwards.He fell back, landing on the ground next to Janice.

There was a moment of dead silence.Cole and Janice were both breathing hard, hurting, and there were seventeen gun muzzles pointing at them from all directions.Bad situation.There was a slight commotion behind the mercenaries, and then their leader walked up with another man.She was looking pissed.They were there for the girl, and her soldiers had let a mere child escape.They better get her back.

Janice saw the man clearly, and her jaw dropped.This was not happening.His eyes met hers, and the same shock ricocheted through him.

"Kevin?" she managed to get out, staring at her teammate, her brother.The man she had sacrificed her career for to revenge.

He smiled incredulously."Jan, what the hell are you doing here?"He glanced over at the woman."You never said anything about her," he accused.

She shrugged casually."She was merely an added bonus, quite unexpected at that."

He glared at her."She's not for sale."

She smiled, completely unintimidated."You may want to remember who works for who.This is all business, nothing personal."

"You said a million each," Kevin said quickly.He nodded towards Cole."There's one.I'll trade my fee for her straight up."

The woman looked thoughtful for a moment."That is a profit margin that I can simply not ignore," she answered."You have a deal, sir."

Kevin looked back at Janice who was still on the ground, stunned."Why?" she finally asked.How could he do this?Sell out?This was so wrong.

"Come on," he replied, sounding disgusted.He knelt down next to her, speaking quietly."We're nothing to them.What they did about Melissa proved that.The only people that we can count on are ourselves.They sold me first.Fuck them.These guys want bio-synths.Brickman had a ton of stuff about Manticore, and I got offered a million bucks for each one I delivered."He could tell she was far from convinced.

"Jan, it's not like they're real people," he continued."They belong to the US government.They're just pieces of equipment that have been surplused.Surplus equipment needs to be sold."He paused, and then reminded her of something she had come to believe."We're the only ones that care about each other.We were willing to do anything for the agency, and look what happened.You're stuck in a lousy job instead of getting a medal for doing what you did, and I'm just a desk jockey, running paperwork now.I'm selling the surplus equipment, and getting me and my boy out of this miserable rat-hole of a country."

He stood and held his hand out to her."Your choice, my sister.You're free to go now.They're not going to bother you.You want to stay in this miserable life they forced on you, or do we get to see Nightshade back in the saddle?"

A thousand emotions passed over Janice's face.She could feel Cole's eyes boring into her.The memory of all his accusations ran through her.She knew what she wanted, what she had to do.The decision was obvious.She smiled up at Kevin and took his hand.He helped her up into a hug."Knew you wouldn't let me down," he said softly.

She took a step back."A million for each right?The girl will come to me, no problem.She trusts me.You know about the ESP right?" Kevin nodded.Mental ability had been in Brickman's notes."It's just her and her siblings.She's telekinetic.They other three are going to be a little harder because they're telepathic, but we can work that."She grinned wickedly."We've worked worse, haven't we?"He was grinning back.

Janice turned back to Cole.Three of the mercenaries were yanking him to his feet, chaining his wrists together.One took a look at the back of his neck and nodded to his leader.She looked pleased."Sorry, Cole," Janice said placatingly."You're great and all, but this is family.You of all people should understand that.No hard feelings?"

An ice-cold smile touched the edges of his mouth.There was something in it that made the mercenaries want to back off.They were killers by trade.That smile alone explained that he was a killer by design."Of course not," he replied, his tone sounding friendly, but was still colder than the snow itself."As a matter of fact I'll even send flowers to your nephew's funeral."His eyes met hers evenly, and she couldn't help a shiver at that promise.At any rate, her plans were set.It was too late to turn back now.


	20. Chase

Jon gunned the snowmobile, pushing it hard as they flew across the snow

Jon gunned the snowmobile, pushing it hard as they flew across the snow.Heather was sure the mercenaries weren't going to kill them.They weren't going to get the chance.Jonathan was going to kill them both first.She held on tight, not wanting to look as they moved around rocks and trees.With the three men after them, they couldn't slow down, so all she could do was pray that he really did know what he was doing.She hung on as Jonathan whipped around corners at breakneck speed, making her very glad she hadn't had breakfast yet.This was worse than Aunt Max on her motorcycle!

Jon was getting worried that he wasn't shaking their pursuers.He was an expert when it came to driving these things, but he didn't know his surroundings very well, and that was leveling the playing field.He was willing to bet that if they were in Utah, they wouldn't have the slightest chance in Hell at catching him and Heather.

Several shots rang out and both Heather and Jon ducked lower instinctively.Heather didn't think they were aiming at their bodies, just the snowmobile.She was hoping so at any rate.Jonathan was slowly starting to pull away, and the men were getting more and more desperate.They knew they better not return empty-handed.

Heather knew if they were going to try shooting, then they had to be desperate.She was far too valuable alive for them to be risking hitting her by accident.Desperate men were far more dangerous.Her mother had taught her that.She glanced back, and the snowmobile to the right was the easiest to see even with her enhanced vision.She concentrated on the controls, seeing them in her mind as well as eyes.Adrenaline was surging through her, helping to boost her abilities, expanding them further than she ever thought possible.There was a flash of pain, sharp but ignorable in her keyed-up state, as she visualized fingers loosening, unable to grip, the controls twisting wildly beneath the slack hands.

They couldn't hear the startled yelp of the man on the right as his machine suddenly came alive in his hands, the controls suddenly turning out of control, his hands traitorously refusing to cooperate and regain control over the snowmobile.It jerked hard to the left, narrowly missing his companion.One skid came off of the ground slightly, caught a rock, and then the whole thing flipped over in a spray of snow, plastic and metal.

Heather grinned as she watched the "accident".It had to be one of the coolest tricks she had done, but she knew it was going to have to be a one-shot deal.Doing it again might cause more than a mere flash of pain, and this would be a very bad time to be incapacitated.Uncle Cole was nowhere around to save her this time.She was saving herself from now on.

Jon risked a glance back when he heard the noise from the crash.For a brief second he could see Heather's face, and she was looking far too pleased with herself, almost like she had managed to cause it.Impossible that she had…but then again, it was impossible that her uncle knew to call him Jon instead of Jonathan.Too many questions, but one thing was for certain.If he didn't lose the other two, he wasn't going to live long enough to get any answers.

Another shot rang out, and Heather heard it hit home as it tore through the plastic and metal of the snowmobile.A muffled curse escaped Jonathan as his wounded snowmobile started to lose power.The crash had slowed the other two for a bit, but in mere moments they were going to be on top of Jon and Heather now.Jon glanced over to his right and made a fast assessment of his surroundings.There was a very steep ridge, far to steep to use a snowmobile on, but for an expert skier…

He twisted the controls hard, nearly making the snowmobile tumble on its side.Both he and Heather counterbalanced, Heather instinctively using telekinesis to push down on the skid that was trying to lift up, and the snowmobile made the turn without throwing them both off the side. 

"Are you crazy?" Heather screamed as they whipped through a clump of trees.He really was going kill them long before the bad guys could.Jon knew he wasn't crazy quite yet, although this day might drive him there, but he did need to buy just a few extra seconds, and his maneuvering might have just worked.He skidded to a stop near the ridge and jumped off, tearing his skis loose from the crippled snowmobile.Heather got off as well.She was shaking a little from the wild ride; it certainly was different when you were the passenger, not the driver.What was he doing now?

"Jonathan?" she questioned him, hearing the other snowmobile approaching rapidly.

"They can't follow us down there," he said quickly.She looked at the skis and then the ridge and understood.Two years before, tandem skis had become all the rage.Two people could ski together on them.It was far more difficult, but supposedly you could go downhill faster as you went, and it was more fun like that.

Search and Rescue had started to use tandem skis so that if they were on "foot", they could tow someone back.Jon and a friend of his had spent most of last winter learning how to use the things properly.As long as Heather kept her balance and held on to him, they should be able to get away.The slope was very steep and littered with rocks and trees.Only an expert would even think about daring it.

Jon's skis and boots were a set, a gift from his uncle for his birthday the year before.They mag locked together, so that all you had to do was step on them and they locked so that there was no way your skis were getting loose.A switch would deactivate the lock when you were ready to get off, and there was a manual lock for the lead and tandem skier in case one or both didn't have the locking boots.

Jon dropped the skis to the ground, and grabbed Heather, pulling her onto them.She got the hint and snapped the locking mechanism around her boots.She was just going to have to trust Jonathan's skill at this point.She wanted to stand her ground and just kick butt when the two men remaining got to them.She knew she could take them with little problem.But, she had to think about Jonathan's safety before what she wanted to do.He couldn't dodge bullets.She would get free, but he would get hurt or maybe even killed.She didn't like the thought of running, but now she was starting to understand what Uncle Cole meant by tactical retreat.It sucked, but it was the wisest of the options.

Jon grabbed his GPS map from the snowmobile and then had himself hooked into his skis in a flash.He pushed them off and heading down the slope, much more slowly than a single person at first, but faster as their combined weight increased the momentum.In a matter of seconds they were moving at near-suicidal speeds.Jon knew now he was in his element.This had always been what he loved best.The wind was tearing at them; there were only fractions of a second to make decisions that meant the difference between life and death.He was glad to still have his goggles, but at these speeds things were still slightly blurred anyways.The rush was incredible!

Heather held onto Jonathan, her movements guiding his.Anyone less coordinated might have tipped them trying to overbalance, but she made herself relax and let Jonathan lead the way.Besides, cats were well known for their coordination.She finally risked a glance back, her immediate curse, something about a goat, being ripped away by the wind.

"We still have one!" she yelled.

Jon knew better than to look back.At these speeds it would be suicide.He scanned the slope ahead, looking for something, anything that would trip the guy up.Then, over to the left, there it was.He saw the tool he could use.To the average person, even someone who knew how to ski very well, it looked like a patch of freshly fallen snow.To a person trained in search and rescue, it looked like an avalanche waiting to happen.


	21. Avalanche

As soon as Jon saw what he was looking for, he zipped to the left, picking up the guy with his peripheral vision

As soon as Jon saw what he was looking for, he zipped to the left, picking up the guy with his peripheral vision.The guy was good, getting this far down the slope was proof of that, but Jon was willing to bet he'd never chased someone like him before.The guy was changing direction and following them down to the left accurately.Perfect.

Heather wanted to smack Jonathan when he zipped to the left, and was slowing down.He crossed a patch of snow, and then moved back to the right, cutting across the snow.They were slowing down!If they were going to go slower, they were never going to get away.Jonathan changed direction again, cutting the snow to the left, and then again whipping to the right.What the hell was he doing?This was all a straight patch of snow.If they could move that fast around rocks and trees, they should be able to nearly fly over pure snow.The guy chasing them hit the straight snow, and he knew what he was doing as he sailed down it fast.

In almost slow motion Heather saw the mercenary slowing down, pulling out a gun, the smile on his face triumphant.Jonathan had completed his crosscut moving further out to the right this time, turning, and…coming to a stop.For a heartbeat of time, they were face to face, and then a low rumble filled the air.Slow motion ceased, and the rest happened in the blink of an eye.

Jon had learned how to spot possible avalanche sites.The ski patrol had to know where they were, and they would set off the avalanche under controlled conditions.One way he's learned was to crosscut the snow, ending up at a safe place on the side of where the avalanche was flowing down.Now, he was on the side, and their pursuer was smack in the middle of the snow's path.The snow started to slide in one heavy plate, knocking the guy to the ground, and carrying him down the side of the mountain in a white flood.

"Whoa," Heather muttered, impressed."You knew that was going to happen?"

"I know snow," came the slightly arrogant response.Jon was feeling rather proud of himself at that moment.Search and Rescue people had to be good, but how many could pull off a stunt like that while tandem skiing and being shot at.Damn few.He reached for the communicator still pinned to his shoulder.Contact, pickup, and then this was something he was going to have to tell everyone back in Park City about.Heather's hand clamped over his so that he couldn't key it.She wasn't that big, but she was really strong.He looked over his shoulder at her questioningly.What was her problem getting hold of help?

"They're probably monitoring communications," she explained.

"This is the ski patrol's frequency," he said, trying to placate her.

She rolled her eyes."So?"

"So you can trust them to get us out of here and back to the lodge," he replied, sounding like he was talking to a young child.She shot him a rather disgusted look, like he was the imbecile, not her.

"Listen," she said, understanding now that despite everything, he really didn't know the danger she was in, and by association, the danger he was in.His parents probably never had to teach him evasion tactics as a child."Right now in Colorado the only people I know I can trust are my parents, Uncle Cole, and Ms. Miller."She paused and a shy smile touched the edges of her mouth."And I think I can trust you too."

Jon wasn't sure what to say to her for a second.She had obviously been through a lot in the last several hours.Maybe this wasn't her first time having someone try and kidnap her.Most girls that he knew would be in total hysterics by this point, screaming that he might have killed that guy in the avalanche.That thought did make him a little sick, but there hadn't been a choice in the matter anymore.Of course, Heather had killed someone for sure.She was acting so calm though, like today was just another day.Very strange.

"What about your uncle and Ms. Miller?" Jon asked her."They might need help."

"Uncle Cole always lands on his feet," Heather said with a funny smile, the kind you had when mentioning an inside joke."As long as Ms. Miller stays with him, they'll be fine.As a matter of fact, they'll probably beat us back to the lodge."

Jon wavered for a moment.They really should call for help.But, Heather really seemed to know what she was talking about.It was a little scary.Yesterday she had been bouncing around like the other girls that he knew.Now she was like ice, totally in command of herself, as if the other Heather was a façade and this was the real one that had been lurking beneath.She went from thinking about parties to strategy and tactics and ambushes and stuff like that.Where had she learned all this stuff?He really wanted answers now.

"If we're not going to call for help then we better get moving," Jon finally said.She looked relieved that he was going to listen.He pulled out the GPS, checked the map, and plotted the best route back to the lodge.They skied part of the way down the hill to a ridge and stopped.

"We have to walk this way for a while," he said, and unhooked himself from the skis.Cross-country tandem skiing was nearly impossible.Heather unsnapped herself and Jon picked up the skis.There was a button that was only active when the mag lock wasn't on.He hit it and the skis retracted small enough so that they fit into his backpack.

Heather looked impressed."Those things do the dishes and flush too?"

Jon grinned."My uncle is a big believer in having the best equipment at all times."He packed them and then faced her, his expression very serious."Now I want to know who's after you and why and how did you kick ass on guys three times your size and oh, how did your uncle know to call me Jon?"He got that out in one breath.

"I'm young, rich and cute, and your name is Jonathan," she replied.He looked irritated at her answer and started walking off.Heather followed, not wanting him to be angry, but unsure how to possibly explain.She couldn't tell him the truth.She really liked him, and didn't want him to think she was some kind of freak.Heather suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.Without telling him the truth, he was going to think that she was a freak no matter what.If he knew the reasons why…maybe he could understand?She had liked him because he was so much more mature than any other boy that she knew.

"Jonathan!" she called out.He paused and she trotted up to him.Heather put her hand on his arm, and he finally looked at her."It's a really long story," she said hesitantly, making her decision.He was risking his life for her.The least she could do was tell him why.But where to begin?

"We have a really long walk," Jon said.He had a feeling he was finally going to get the truth out of her.

Heather nodded and took a deep breath."I guess we should get started then," she said.Jon caught the double meaning to her words and they started walking."I didn't know you liked to be called Jon," she said.

He shrugged and looked a little embarrassed."Nobody calls me Jon," he replied."It's sort of…um…what I call myself in my head.Like an alter-ego or something…always brave, and smart, and…" he looked really embarrassed now.

Heather smiled."Mind if I call you Jon?"She had yet to know him when he wasn't acting brilliantly and bravely, and he had managed to save the damsel in distress.No wonder he had been shocked when Cole had called him Jon though.Cole had obviously picked up on his thoughts, and just started to call him Jon without realizing that was a mental tag.

Now Jon grinned for real."That'd be okay," he answered, feeling his ego inflate.

They walked quietly for a second while Heather decided how to begin."The people after me," she said hesitantly, "well, Ms. Miller said they were some mercenary group and I think they've want me because they've been contracted to get me and sell me to some other country or maybe someone wants me for their private collection.I really don't know for sure."

"Why you?" Jonathan, no it was Jon, asked.It was the million-dollar question, and the one she didn't want to answer.Heather's parents had taught her from infancy to always blend in and never reveal herself for what she really was.It wasn't fair she had to be so different.She knew her parents would be furious for what she was going to do now, but at some point you had to make decisions on your own.

"I'm not exactly normal," she replied."I'm pretty much like regular people," she said quickly."I'm just a little…different."

Jon could tell that she wasn't trying to be evasive now; this was just hard on her to explain.Without thinking about it, he had taken her hand in his."You can't be too different," he said."You look pretty normal to me, unless you have like twelve toes on one foot or something else weird that I can't see."She laughed."I promise you," he continued, "no matter what you say, I'm not going to repeat it to anyone, no matter what.You did say you could trust me," he reminded her.

She smiled and then glanced down at their joined hands.Jon noticed it too, and blushed.He went to pull away, but her fingers tightened around his.She was going to need all the support she could get to tell him what he wanted to know.

"I guess to explain it all, you have to go back to the start," she said softly.This was not going to be easy, but she was going to do it.She wasn't sure of all of the details, but she knew enough."The start was a long time before I was born and it was in a place in Wyoming.There was a military base in there in Gillette, and it was secretly the home of a government project known as Manticore."


	22. A Little Background

"Do you think he's really a threat to Devon

"Do you think he's really a threat to Devon?" Kevin asked Janice.They had ridden snowmobiles for a while, but had to walk the rest of the way through some trees to the clearing where the buyer was going to be waiting for them.He was quite eager when he heard he was getting a second Manticore, one of the adult ones at that, and it was for a bargain price.He had told them he still wanted the girl, and Janice just shrugged and then told him the girl was going to be easy.Besides, without the girl Kevin wasn't going to get his fee, and she was going to be much easier than the other three.Those would be forthcoming, but it would take a bit longer.The buyer seemed well pleased with her answer.

"In a few hours he's going to be long gone," Janice replied, sounding totally unconcerned.She glanced back.Even injured, Cole was moving over the snow much more easily than his six guards.His wrists were tied behind his back, the nylon rope looping around his neck in a noose.In order to undo his bonds he would have to strangle himself.It was an easy way to tie up a very dangerous prisoner and very effective as well.If they had tried it on her rather than rely on Delastic, Janice knew she would have been screwed.Still, even tied up and hurt Cole managed to radiate danger to the point that the tough veterans guarding him were on edge.No surprise that Kevin was worried about his kid.Cole was just downright scary without having to say or do a thing.

"The girl is nothing to worry about," Janice continued."And none of her siblings are trained soldiers either."

Kevin still looked worried despite Janice's reassurances.They had just gotten the news that Heather had gotten away again.She supposedly had little to no training, but she was ducking highly skilled mercenaries like it was nothing.Janice swore it was just luck, but he was a little worried nonetheless.Bad luck could ruin the best-laid plans.Most people in their field denied the existence of luck, but he firmly believed that in every situation there was still the element of the random that could screw you over every time.This person behind them, no, this superfluous military equipment, he could be that element of the random.

In truth, Cole wasn't worried at all about the future.Being caught wasn't part of his plans, neither was Janice turning traitor for that matter, but he'd been trained to think fast and improvise as needed.Hell, they'd been through drill where the mission objective changed in the middle and you damn well better complete it or else.It wasn't too dissimilar to real life situations.They only question mark was Heather, and he knew she had gotten away on the snowmobile.It didn't look like they were going to keep her from the lodge; once she got there nothing was going to get her from Alicia and Zack.

Janice could claim Heather was an easy mark all she wanted, but Heather had two parents that were far more vigilant than Janice could ever imagine.They would never have let her go on this trip if Alicia didn't know he spent every Thanksgiving in Colorado with Dad.Not to mention that for a non-telepath, Zack was an excellent judge of character.Cole had never really warmed to Zack, but he did have to give him credit for that.Better judge than I am, Cole thought ruefully.Zack probably would have caught Janice's duplicity from the start.

As for what was in store for him, he knew the drill.Norms didn't change pattern unless they were blasted out of their pitiful little ruts.They were going to drug him, throw him on a helicopter, and fly him to a larger aircraft for transport out of the country.They would give him enough drugs to knock him out, but they probably had no idea how fast he would process tranquilizers meant for norms.They'd give him what would have a norm sleep for days.He'd be up, and fully regenerated, in two hours.

Wherever he woke up, they were bound to have him chained.That might take about two minutes of his time to get out of.The rest was simple.He should be on the larger aircraft by then.They wouldn't be expecting him to be awake and healed that quickly, so there wouldn't be many guards around him.He'd take out enough to get to the cockpit, take out the pilots, and then depressurize the plane to knock out anyone else aboard.There would be enough oxygen in the pilot's mask to get them back to the US.All he'd have to do then was make sure the mask's straps were tight and head on home.

Cole knew he'd have to get hold of Xander and Shawna.They would be pissed if they missed out on interrogating the prisoners before the prisoners were eliminated.Lon actually owed him a big favor.He wouldn't like going against his whole "upholding the law" thing, but he would get that kid for Cole.The kid that Janice considered a nephew.Both her and the kid's father were going to watch the kid die before Cole took them both out.Nasty, yes, but object lessons usually were.He'd been given a few in his life, and had demonstrated a few more.This one certainly wouldn't be his last.The right people would hear about this, and it would be understood that you do not go after a Manticore unless you want the fury of Hell unleashed.

Janice knew that Kevin was still worried about Cole.She had never seen him so nervous about a captive before.Of course they had never had a captive like Cole before.Cole wasn't saying anything, and his silence was far more frightening and unnerving than any yelling or cursing that he could be doing.

"I think I finally matched a name and face," Janice said to Kevin, nodding towards the leader of the mercenaries."British MI5, she was part of Operation Ratsnake, code name Tundra, right?"Kevin nodded and Janice added, "I knew something was going on with her when I left, but I never knew what happened exactly."

"You remember that little town that the Irish Republican Army wiped out about two weeks before you left?" Kevin asked.

Janice made a face."Yeah, I heard about it.I couldn't believe that people really thought the IRA was involved.Nothing about it was their style at all."

"Well, you know the news is just there to feed the sheep," Kevin said."You know that a senior member of the British Parliament and an American businessman were killed there, right?" Janice nodded.Their deaths led to practically open warfare against the IRA and they lost a great deal of sympathy when some of the people in the IRA claimed credit.It had led to a split in the organization, and caused tidal waves of repercussions.

"The Brits knew their guy was going to be there," Kevin continued."He was secretly a sympathizer, so they were thinking it wasn't going to be a loss either way.They get rid of him, and sympathy goes their way.But at the last minute his American friend decided to go along with him during his tour of Ireland."

"Anyways, the friend was a sympathizer as well, but he was a very diverse one.Some of his friends were the Brits' friends, and ours as well, and you know how that mess goes."Janice nodded.She knew the situation all too well."Tundra was in charge of the mission, and she was supposed to abort it, but she didn't."

"A lot had gone into the mission," Kevin continued."I don't know all the details, but I do know the people that claimed credit for the IRA were her people undercover.If the mission didn't proceed there were going to be major repercussions.Agents were going to be exposed and things like that.So, she just didn't let her people know that there was a last minute cancellation."

Janice sighed."And I'm the one with a price on my head."

"You're the one who left the field altogether," Kevin reminded her."She went mercenary, and became worth more alive than dead.Some of her clients that have given her a retainer already would be pissed as hell if she was eliminated and they couldn't get their contracts filled."

Janice laughed softly."I bet.This buyer is eager as hell to get his contract filled."She looked at Kevin questioningly."Okay, fess up," she said with a smile."Where did you get all this information on Manticore?I never even heard of it before, and here you are with all of the good dirt."She accentuated her words with a playful punch to his shoulder.

Kevin looked a little embarrassed for a second."Brickman's been doing research on it.Since I was taken out of fieldwork, I have plenty of time at Langley.I was bored and poking through some stuff and found his files on Manticore.I couldn't get to all of his stuff, but I did get the information on the four X-7 kids.It's not complete information, like the stuff about how high their mental abilities are is missing, but there was enough to start stalking them.We were going to make a grab for the oldest one of the X-7's, but this seemed like a better opportunity."

"Anything on the older ones?" Janice asked."The other X-6, I mean.Do you know who they are or where they are?"

"No," Kevin said, sounding disappointed."I think it was in the stuff I couldn't get to.Everything I saw just used designation numbers instead of names, except for the kids."He shot her a conspiratorial grin."Maybe my sister and I could get the rest of the good stuff."

She returned the grin and they high-fived."Been there, done that," she said with a little laugh."We got one, I bet we could find out who the others are, especially if they still do government work like this one does."Kevin just grinned.With him and Janice working this, they were going to be filthy rich very soon, and then it was off to Rio de Janeiro.

They were both quiet for a minute.Janice knew they were coming up to the meeting site very soon.She was starting to get very nervous now, but slammed the emotion down.She had everything she needed, and there wasn't time for nerves.She knew what she had to do, and as much as it pained her, she knew she was going to have to do it.There was no backing down now.


	23. Warming Back Up

"Aren't you going to say anything

"Aren't you going to say anything?" Heather finally asked after the silence kept stretching out.She had finished her story, but Jon wasn't talking.His silence was driving her crazy.She hoped she didn't just make a huge mistake.

"I'm not sure what to say," he responded."Your parents are genetically engineered soldiers.You have super-powers.Mercenaries who want to sell you to the highest bidder are after you.What am I supposed to say?That's cool, want to go to dinner tonight just doesn't go with the situation."

She jerked away from him angrily."None of this is my fault!" she snapped."I never asked to be born weird.I don't want to be chased all over the place.All I wanted this weekend is for you to teach me how to ski and…" her words trailed off.She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of telling him she liked him and was hoping he would ask her out.

"And what?" he asked.

"Nothing," she muttered.Logically, she knew this was going to be hard for him to take in.If he told her his parents were aliens or something, she would have a hard time with that.Logic didn't help though when Jon was looking at her like she was diseased now.No wonder her parents had warned her so many times to say nothing.It wasn't a matter of getting caught; it was a matter of people not being able to accept her as she was.Different was always going to be a bad thing to norms.

Jon knew his reaction wasn't all that Heather had hoped for, but he wasn't really sure how he should react.It explained a lot about her and why she always seemed different from other girls even though she tried to act like them, but the whole thing was still very weird.She wasn't really human.She looked human though.She sounded like a regular human being and a few hours before he would never have suspected her as being anything less than that.

Heather had already started walking off from him.He hesitated for a second, then yelled out "Heather!" and then ran after her.She didn't stop, but she didn't speed up either.He caught her arm and made her face him.The hurt on her face, eyes bright with unshed tears, made him feel like a total jerk.She was a real person no matter what weird DNA made her.He liked her before, and whatever had made her into the girl he liked, he should just accept it, and accept her as what she was.Race was just a matter of DNA, and if she were Asian or black or any other ethnic background, she would still be the same person.All of his papers on the equality of human beings now came up to haunt him.He had written articles that had been published in magazines about "all men are created equal" and the first time he gets really challenged on that belief, he starts acting like a hypocrite.She was different from the average, but diversity was a good thing in the world.

"I just wasn't expecting to hear that kind of story from you," he explained, now really feeling like a world-class jerk.He smiled a little more."I wasn't ever expecting to hear that kind of story from anyone.So, you can really move stuff with your mind?"

She finally smiled back."I get headaches if it's too heavy or if I do too much, but yeah, I can really do it."

"I always wished I could do that when I was younger," he commented.Her smile became much more real.He was dealing with it, and she couldn't help but feel relieved that he wasn't going to run out on her now.

"It's not the big deal you think," she replied.She sighed wistfully."I always thought it would be cool to be able to become invisible."They both laughed at that.No matter what you had, you still wanted more.Maybe it was a rich spoiled brat trait.After a second Jon reached down and took her hand again, and she didn't pull away from him.They started walking, both of them feeling much better now that the air was cleared.

"I was thinking," Jon said hesitantly, "that maybe when we got home, you'd…um…we could, you know…maybe if you wanted to…you could, um, let me…take you out." He was blushing bright red now, staring at the snow at their feet, and not daring to look at her.

"I'd love to."

Now he looked up at her, his eyes bright."You would?"

Heather grinned."I have been waiting forever for you to ask me out," she declared.Jon grinned broadly at that.She grimaced."You just have to meet my parents though."

"They can't be that bad," Jon said, and then thought about it for a second."Um, they don't like kill people they don't like, do they?"He thought that was a very fair question.Fathers tended to be protective over daughters and he didn't want to get on the bad side of a genetically engineered assassin.

"They're really regular now," Heather insisted."I mean, Dad works as a private investigator, and Mom volunteers at school and does regular mom kind of stuff."She thought for a second."The only time I can ever remember either of them going off the deep end was when I was three and some guys tried to kidnap me and Daniel.I don't remember much except that Mom showed up in time and wiped out like six or seven guys."

"She killed them?" Jon asked, horrified and fascinated all at the same time.

"Daniel can remember it better than I do, and he said she did," Heather replied."Mom won't talk about what she did for Manticore and her missions and stuff like that, but there was a reason why she was their leader.Since Dad left when he was young he never had to do anything bad, but I think she got put into some bad situations."Heather noticed Jon was looking a little pale."She's not like that now," Heather said quickly."Except for that one time, you couldn't tell she ever did anything like that before."

Jon had never considered the possibility that the mother of the girl he'd like to date was more dangerous than the father.He'd always been told to be careful of shotgun toting fathers that called their daughter "princess".He didn't think he'd ever have to wonder if her mother would be a sniper."Does your mom ever wish she was back there?" Jon asked.If she wanted to go back, he wouldn't want to be her first target.

"I don't think so," Heather said."Daniel said that when he was real small he can remember Mom being sad sometimes and acting like she wasn't happy and there wasn't anything anyone could do, and then when I was like six months old her and Dad split up for like a month, and then she came back home, and she was better after that.I think she went back to Manticore and then changed her mind and came home."Heather shrugged."I can't remember her being anything but a regular mom."

Jon felt better now.Maybe they were strange, but they weren't crazed killers.Not anymore at least.He had seen Heather not hesitate to shoot someone, but her life was very much in danger.There wasn't anything wrong with protecting yourself, or your family.He wasn't sure about the guy that got caught up in the avalanche, maybe he had survived, but Jon knew he would have killed him and taken Heather had he not been nailed by the avalanche.Sometimes you just had to do things that you would prefer not to, but you had to anyways.

They walked for a few minutes in silence before Heather said a little shyly."You're the first person I ever told the truth to."

"Not even Nina and Beth?" he asked.They were her best friends.

Heather snorted."They're friends, but I wouldn't trust them with this for anything."

"You trusted me with it though?"

She shrugged."You're different from them."

"So are you," Jon said, continuing quickly when he felt her tense."Different in a good way.I think I like your kind of different."Now it was Heather's turn to blush.She looked like she was debating something for a second, then leaned over and kissed his cheek.Jon looked almost as startled as Heather that she had done such a thing.

"Thanks," she said softly."For being okay with different."They stopped walking and faced each other, their eyes meeting.Heather could feel her heart start racing.He's going to kiss me, she thought excitedly.She knew full well there wasn't any time for this, but she couldn't make herself move for anything.

"Close your eyes," he ordered gently.She hesitated for a second but closed them anyways."Just keep them closed," he added.Heather felt him lift her arm and do something with her wrist.Odd, but she kept her eyes closed.

"Okay," he said, sounding a little excited.Heather opened her eyes and gasped in shock.

"My bracelet!" she cried.She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight."I can't believe you found it!Thank you thank you thank you!" she practically squealed.She never thought she was going to see it again, and he managed to get it back for her.

Jon hugged her back, even more glad now that he had found it.Maybe it was silly right now for her to be getting so excited over a few pieces of gold, but at that moment he felt like he had just presented her with the head of a dragon.

Heather tensed suddenly then jerked back, her head tilted slightly like she was listening to something.Jon opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but she held up a finger in warning.He listened hard, but he couldn't hear anything except the wind.

"Helicopter's coming," she whispered.There was a clump of trees nearby and she grabbed his hand and they both ran for it.Heather dropped to the snow, pulling Jon down with her.Jon could only watch in amazement as the snow suddenly shifted more than the wind could account for, covering their tracks.He glanced over at Heather in question and her expression clearly said that she was moving the snow herself.

Now he could hear the helicopter bearing down on them.They both pressed down tightly in the snow.Heather had a few seconds to throw some snow over their bodies, but it wasn't enough to cover them totally.They were going to have to hope the trees finished covering them.The noise got louder and louder until it was right on top of them.For a heart-stopping moment, it seemed to pause, but then Jon realized it was continuing on its course.Jon and Heather got up, brushing the snow off of themselves as the sound became fainter.

"Maybe it was help," Jon suggested in a low voice.

"Maybe," she agreed evenly."But I'm not risking either of out lives on it.Her mouth tightened in a firm line."The enemy can risk theirs."


	24. Mind Games

Something was nagging at Cole

Something was nagging at Cole.It was like when you can't remember the name of an actor that played in a movie, or the name of an old TV show.He knew there was something he should have thought of, but it was dancing just out of reach, mocking him.He knew it had to be something intuitively obvious to even the most casual observer, but he couldn't think of what it was.He had a feeling that it was very important, something that could alter the present situation, but it was still just a finger's length out of reach.

The guards weren't talking about what was going on with Heather and Jon, but a few that did know had replaced a couple of the guards that were around him, and Cole had picked out the information he needed easily.Three men went after Heather and Jon.One of them was injured when his snowmobile somehow flipped several times.Long years of military training kept Cole from grinning when he heard that.Little Bit had some cold-hearted men scared of her now.One man was starting to think they should give up on the kid since they had the adult.He didn't know if she was deliberately trying to scare them, but fear was a soldier's best weapon and worst enemy.

Jon had apparently skied down a very steep and dangerous slope.Cole's opinion of the kid went up when he "heard" that.The kid was a quick thinker.Only one of the mercenaries had been skilled enough to attempt to follow Jon down the slope, but there was a well-timed avalanche, and the kids were missing now.Cole didn't know if Heather was strong enough to create and control an avalanche, but he wasn't putting anything past her.

Cole was a little surprised at how easy it was to pick through the minds of the guards.Most of their thoughts were irrelevant, but the important details were being broadcasted the most.Cole knew he was skilled at getting in and out of someone's mind without them realizing that anything strange had happened, but this was ridiculously easy.There were a few that were tough, and their leader was impossible, but the ones around him were easy.He would think they would try to shield a little at least.By this point, he knew about Tundra, and how one liked to secretly cross-dress and how three of them killed that fourteen-year-old girl last year in Korea.Why weren't they trying to shield their thoughts a little at least?

For a fraction of a second Cole paused in mid-step as what was nagging at him suddenly came closer and the pieces fell into place with an almost audible click.Janice mentioned the kids' abilities, but not his.Click.Brickman didn't know about him, so Kevin wouldn't either.Click.Why wouldn't Janice say that he was telepathic?Because if she had, they would have tried to shield their thoughts.They would have known that she had a one-way communication possible with him if she chose to broadcast.She very deliberately held back that information.But why would she do that, unless…unless…

He let his mind wing out to Janice's.The language of pure mind to him had always been more complex than hieroglyphics, but he could roughly translate running into a shielded mind in visual terms.It was like floating at the center of a smooth black wall that stretched forever up and down, left and right.Most walls like this had cracks in different places, but the wall was huge, and searching would take too much time that he didn't have.When he had tried to read her when they first met, he knew immediately that she would be tough to crack if she didn't want him in there.

This time it was like there was a homing beacon calling him to a specific place on the wall.He was drawn to a place, a crack that she had deliberately made.He knew she wouldn't know how to do it, but there was something on her mind that she wasn't trying to hide, something she wanted him to know.He could feel the emotion surrounding it, fear, anger, worry, and a pulse of something else so faint it was eluding him.Still, it didn't change the image that she couldn't get out of her mind.It was Heather, tied to a surgical table, her blue eyes wide with pain and fear as she struggled against her bonds while faceless people hacked and sawed at her.Cole could hear Janice's voice speaking one sentence, a constant echo of a powerful emotion."This will not happen while I can still change things."

Cole had slipped into her mind covertly, but now it was time for a tactical risk.He didn't think she was lying about this.It was much harder to mentally fake emotion.If Janice really meant what she was letting out, she was going to have to give him proof of it.They had just come into a clearing and time was gone.It was put up or shut up. Mentally, he "tapped" on the wall, announcing his presence to her.It was up to her now to let him in.Then he would know the truth behind her actions.If she were friend or foe, he would know for certain.

**********

As they approached the clearing, Janice knew that time was up.She had known they were badly outnumbered and needed time.She had bluffed them all into thinking that she would be able to get Heather easily.They hadn't sent more people after the kids, instead wanting to keep them to make sure Cole didn't escape.Kevin didn't know about Shadow or any of the others, so he couldn't have told Tundra about them.She glanced over at Kevin, the pity and anger warring with each other.

It wasn't right what he was planning.It was not him.She knew this was temporary, that he was a good man, but just misguided from grief right now.She was closer to him than her blood sister, but she wouldn't let an innocent child be killed so that he could get over his pain.Once he calmed down and stepped back, he would see it too and thank her for not letting him do such a thing.

They walked into a clearing in the middle of nowhere, and suddenly Janice got the weirdest feeling in her life.It was like when you're alone in your house, but you're sure you just heard someone say your name.It was very unnerving to suddenly get a crawly feeling like there was someone under your skin with you.The feeling made her start thinking about ghosts.Like there was a…presence of some sort.Wait.Presence?Cole?

Cole had told her that she had strong mental shielding, so she had tried to think loudly, however you did that.She wanted to tell him that she wasn't really going to help them catch Heather, and that she wanted Cole to escape as well.She wasn't going to sell any of them, no matter what.Janice didn't know if Cole was getting the message, the trouble with one-way communication, but now she was thinking that he might have gotten it.He was here, somehow, in her head, wanting…wanting something?Bloody hell, he was the telepath, not her.What the hell did he want?

Tundra keyed her comm. equipment."We're at the rendezvous site," she announced.

A voice came back."No sign of the girl yet.We'll be there in five minutes for the pickup."Tundra smiled and turned back to her men."Five minutes and the buy will be complete gentlemen," she announced."We'll have the girl tonight, and then I think we've all deserved a week or two down in Jamaica."The mercenaries cheered, and even Kevin smirked.

He's thinking by the time she gets back we'll have the rest of the Manticore technology ready for sale, Janice thought bitterly.She leaned against a tree, and glanced over at Cole.He was looking back at her, and suddenly she understood that feeling of presence.He needed to know for certain what she wanted, what she was planning.He wanted in.

Janice wasn't sure exactly how to drop her mental shields.He was the one that knew they were there; she just knew that she was good at guarding her expressions.An idea occurred to her.It might not work, but there weren't many options.It was creepy to think of letting someone else in her mind, but she knew it was the only way he was going to understand her motives.She closed her eyes, and stretched.To an observer, it looked like she was just stretching her arms after a long walk.Internally, she relaxed her mind using a meditation technique she had learned in India, hoping it would be enough.

Cole had kept the contact, waiting for her to make a decision.The wall was holding solid except for that one small break, and that was too small for him to dig into.Physically, he saw Janice lean against a tree and then stretch a moment later.Mentally, the wall around her mind suddenly started to crack wildly, fissures appearing as she intentionally forced herself to open to him.

He didn't hesitate to "jump" through the fissures.Mental walls were one way.They could keep you out, but they couldn't keep you in.In a matter of seconds he was running though everything that made Janice Miller herself.Glimpses of childhood, I'm starting school today Cyra's pretty Santa brought me a bike for Christmas, and then adolescence, Bobby likes me stupid biology teacher Craig I want to leaving for college tomorrow, whipped past Cole with hurricane force.He respected her privacy enough to not to look into her memories, but went after what he knew was going to be there.Likes, dislikes, emotion, everything was swirled around in a tight topography that could never be really mapped.

And then there it was.She wanted to lull them.The mercenaries were lax at that moment.The buyer was coming by helicopter.They could take it and search with it, find Heather, and get back to the lodge.Again, there was that beat of emotion that was so hard to define before.Closer to the source, he understood it now.Honor.She would never, ever, dishonor herself and what she held as virtue for the sake of money.It went deeper than the bonds of brotherhood.It was the bond of heart, mind and soul, and she could not let it be broken, or else the person she was would cease to exist.Everything was in a mass, jumbled to the point where Cole knew Janice herself would have a hard time separating it, but an outside observer could see where everything fell into place.

Janice gasped softly, unable to hold back in the shock of intrusion.She bit her lip lightly, trying to hold back another cry as every secret place in her mind was suddenly exposed.For a brief moment she felt as exposed as if she was standing there completely naked.She had no idea it would be like this, like someone running their hands over the bookshelves of thought in her mind.He had no mercy, no tact as to what he was running through, and for a moment she regretted allowing him this entry point.

And then it was gone.Not completely, Janice had a feeling like Cole was still touching her lightly, keeping a feathery kind of contact, but that brutal intrusion had pulled back.

"Jan, you okay?" Kevin asked.She looked up at him, suddenly aware that she was breathing a little hard.Kevin had heard her gasp, and then got concerned as she paled.

"Muscle cramp," she lied smoothly.The intrusion felt like it had taken hours, but in reality couldn't have taken longer than thirty seconds.She pushed out her right leg, and rotated her foot up as if stretching out her calf muscle."Guess I need more potassium," she added like nothing was wrong.She could feel herself shaking lightly.That contact…she had no idea how intense it would be.God, what had he seen in there?

Janice looked over at Cole.Faint on the wind was the sound of helicopter blades.It was now or never time.Her eyes met Cole's and just for the barest second a touch of a smile curved the edge of his mouth.He knew.Think loudly, she told herself.He was still somehow connected to her, she knew that, but could he hear specific thoughts?

She focused on him.Can you hear me? She shouted the thought in her head.The helicopter was getting closer.Cole's head dipped for a moment, and then came back up.To an observer it looked like he was feeling defeated.To Janice, it was a clear nod.The one on your left doesn't have ammo in his rifle, she thought loudly.Break right, helicopter is goal.

Janice looked up at Kevin."I feel a little bad," she said, nodding towards Cole."I think he liked me."

Kevin shrugged."Not much we can do now."Plenty we can do know, Janice thought fiercely.She started sauntering over towards Cole."Be careful," Kevin called out to her.She grinned back at him.

"I really should say I'm sorry," she said in a teasing tone.It was a very Nightshade kind of thing to do, and he smiled when he recognized the behavior.She always got in a nasty dig at the end, just to rub it in that the other guy lost.It was just an ice-cold maneuver that was very distinctly Nightshade.

She walked up to Cole and smirked.The helicopter was starting to come over the trees and Tundra was approaching with a medical kit.In a few seconds Cole was going to be very well drugged."You know," she said."I did have a good time in the caves and all, but this is just, you know, why life's a bitch."

"And so are you," he replied with a cold smile, but his eyes were bright.He could hear what was behind the words.Damn, she was smart.

Before any of the mercenaries could react, Janice had a knife in her hand, the blade against Cole's throat.She pressed lightly, a thin trickle of blood welling.He didn't flinch.There were suddenly a dozen guns pointed at her, all attention pointed at her as well.For that tense moment, their attention had been turned away from the one person who they shouldn't relax around for even a second.

"Damn straight and don't you forget it," she whispered, a grin touching the edges of her mouth.With a single deft flick, she sliced the cord around his neck.He spun as she ducked low, the knife cutting the cord around his wrists, and then they both went into full action.


	25. Making the Move

When she picked up the medical case and started towards the merchandise, Tundra felt mostly on top of the world

When she picked up the medical case and started towards the merchandise, Tundra felt mostly on top of the world.The costs associated with completing this contract were higher than she had expected, but she was getting twice what she had original expected to make right away.She supposed that should make up for the fact she had to let Nightshade go.Well, she had to for now.After they got as many of the biosynths as possible, the bitch was fair game.She would be…surplused, as Hawk had so succinctly put it.She was just going to have to deal with the arrogant, beastly-looking woman for a bit longer.Maybe after they got the girl, Nightshade could be removed then, discreetly of course.

It was the loss of manpower that was the most annoying of all.She had fifty men in her employ and had brought thirty-five with her.That should have been enough, but obviously she had not taken into count that bad luck does occur even to the best.Ah well, the dead ones could be easily replaced.Obviously they were lacking in skill and ability if they had been killed.There were only seventeen of her men left here, and one at the lodge.Still, it was almost over, and she could look forward to recruiting some fresh blood for her group.

Tundra had eyed Nightshade strolling over to the merchandise.Such a casual, careless gait, like she knew she was invincible.Tundra's jaw tightened.So what if she had cause to be so arrogant about herself.Few people would dare tease something as dangerous as their merchandise, but of course Nightshade would.She had to.It was her cute little trademark.It was that final "I'm better than you are".Tundra had gotten it herself once.Operation Ratsnake wasn't completely lost; she would have salvaged it, but no, they had to bring in Nightshade's team who took the credit for the entire operation, and made her seem the fool.Now who was the fool?One member had turned traitor, and soon everyone would know what he had done, and the perfect, indestructible Nightshade would be caught in a trap so obvious even a rookie could see it.It was going to simply be a matter of patience.First the sale had to go through.She had to prove the biosynths could be obtained, and then buyers would come out of the woodwork.

The helicopter's approach masked whatever it was that Nightshade said to the merchandise.Suddenly she whipped out a knife and had it against his throat.In a horrible burst of intuition, Tundra knew something had gone terribly wrong.The merchandise…somehow he knew what Nightshade was doing.She had made a scratch on his throat, but it seemed planned.In a flash, she understood.There wasn't even the time to shout a warning to her men, who were completely focused on Nightshade, whom they thought might destroy the merchandise, and therefore their fee.Nightshade suddenly dropped to her knees as he spun around, and then the most dangerous, well-trained killing machine that ever walked beneath the sun was free, and seemed just a bit pissed.

When Janice hit the ground, she could only hope Cole was agile enough to not trip over her and fall flat on his ass.That would be a comedy of a rescue mission right there.She shouldn't have even wasted the half-second of worry.The guards couldn't shoot at this range; hitting Cole would kill him for sure, and Cole knew how to take advantage of that.He grabbed the guard to his right, hauling him off of the ground, and pitching him into three of the other guards, sending them all to the ground.

Cole wanted to laugh at the guards. He would have if there had been more time.The cold that had been numbing them had barely affected him.As a matter of fact, it had been roughly like putting a cold pack on his knee.His body regenerated much slower when he was awake, but it did regenerate, and with the sudden surge of adrenaline, he was feeling about ninety percent, which was still far more than any norm could deal with.He jumped high, twisting in the air, and landing behind them easily.This was too perfect.He's played this game so many times with one of his siblings.Catch the attention, and then pass it back and forth to confuse the enemy.They weren't watching Janice anymore as they went after him.

The guard that had been thrown had kept hold of his rifle, but his sidearm had slid out onto the snow.Cole's acrobatics had distracted the guards for half a second, and that was all Janice needed.She had the gun in hand, and fired several shots into their backs.That might be dirty fighting, but when it was nineteen to two, Marquis of Queensbury rules went out the window.Four men fell immediately, and two others were suddenly made unconscious by a blur that became Cole when he slowed.

A few shots rang out, but not many.The helicopter was whipping up the snow, blurring vision, making it impossible to see what to shoot at.Janice caught a glimpse of Tundra trying to signal it to leave, but they were having a hard time seeing her as well.A hand grabbed her arm, and Cole hauled her up quickly.Without a word, the both ducked low, and sprinted towards the helicopter.

Cole broke right for the pilot, and Janice went to the left for the co-pilot.They stayed low, and the pilots didn't recognize them until it was too late.Cole had the door open, one hand catching the pilot by the throat, and even over the rotors, Janice could hear the sickening sound of a neck breaking.The co-pilot jerked back, hitting the release on his harness.He didn't notice the gun muzzle coming over the other side.Cole ducked, most of the splatter missing him.They both got in quickly, Janice throwing the body onto the ground. Cole's hands moved fast, lifting them off of the ground before Janice could get her harness completely on.Janice scanned the clearing, for a moment, catching sight of Kevin.He seemed to have sensed her, and turned, and for a moment, she swore their eyes locked.

I'm sorry, she thought.For a moment her stomach cramped with the pain of betraying him.But it's now or never, and I can't let you do it.I'll still protect you and Devon, but I can't let you do this.Then the helicopter turned, and he was lost to her view.


	26. Back Seat Drivers

The helicopter's cockpit was partially open to the back

The helicopter's cockpit was partially open to the back.There was room for about ten men back there, but when Janice glanced back, she let out a rather creative curse.It was empty.The buyer wasn't there.He must have decided to wait for them somewhere safer.Damn him!Well, he couldn't hide forever, and they had Heather to go find.But first things were first.

When they had thrown the pilots out, they had kept their headsets in the helicopter.Janice adjusted the microphone, and said firmly, "Kevin and Devon are off limits."

He spared her a glance."There's no off-limits in battle.You should know that."

Janice leaned back in her seat."There is if you want my help," she shouted, folding her arms."I will deal with Kevin, nobody else."

Cole glared at her for a moment, but he already knew she wouldn't back down, and he might still need her.She met his gaze evenly, not giving an inch.There were damn few people in the world that could do that with him."If you don't take care of him…" he warned.

She gave a sharp nod."If I don't, it's because I'm dead," she replied.She knew she couldn't kill him, wouldn't kill him, but she would make sure he was never going to do anything like this again.Exactly how, she wasn't sure, but she would do it.He wasn't a bad person.He would come to his senses; he just needed his teammates back with him to help.

"Where do you think she is?" Janice asked, getting back to their top priority.

"Somewhere between the caves and the lodge," Cole replied.He was keeping the helicopter low, barely over the trees so that he could see the ground easily.He thought for a second."We'll cross that path, if we don't see her, we'll get Alicia and see if she's heard from them yet."

Cole caught the slight movement out of the corner of his eye, and it was his lightning reflexes that kept the knife out of Janice's throat.Janice had been looking to her right, watching for the kids, so she didn't see the hand come around the partition, blade angled to drive into her throat.Cole jerked the helicopter to the left, banking it almost too hard for it to keep in the air.

If it hadn't been for the harness, Janice would have found herself in Cole's lap as he twisted the helicopter unexpectedly.She felt a thin sting on her neck, wondering what the hell he was doing.She touched her neck, her eyes widening to see blood on her fingers.She looked up at him in question, but behind the partition on his side, slammed up against the side of the helicopter, she had the answer.Tundra.There was a tarp in the back in disarray.That sneaky little bitch!

"Just fly," she shouted to Cole, hitting the release on her harness.The belts unlocked, and she was crawling to the back in a flash.

Tundra knew her knife had fallen out of her hand when that thing had jerked the helicopter.No matter.Nightshade was on her way back here.This mess was still salvageable.There was always a way out.She was willing to bet he was looking for a place to land right then.Perfect.He seemed to have a weakness for Nightshade.It could be used.It would be used.

Janice was pissed.Most people made mistakes when they were angry.She didn't.Anger made her sharper, more focused.And now, she was focused on taking this bitch right out.There wasn't much maneuvering room, but that was just fine.It was going to be better when she could see Tundra's face up close when she kicked her ass.She didn't realize that she had a small smile on her face, the one that sent shivers up an opponent's spine.It was, in a word, murderous.

Tundra dropped, swiping out her leg in a sweep.Janice jumped it, and then immediately blocked the reverse kick.She whipped out a power kick of her own, but Tundra swept the leg aside, and was back on her feet.Janice feinted a punch, and when Tundra blocked it, Janice spun around and caught her square in the ribs with her elbow, throwing her into the door.Janice's momentum whipped her around in a shallow kick that tossed Tundra back.She would have hit the ground had she not been holding the latch.

Tundra's weight jerked the latch back, sliding the door open.She timed her next move perfectly, deflecting the punch that would have taken her out cold, and getting her leg between Janice's.She twisted her body hard, her knee hitting the back of Janice's, knocking her off balance.Still holding the door, Tundra shoved hard with her other leg, shoving Janice right out the open door.

Tundra nearly shouted with victory as Janice tumbled out the door.She leaned out to see the body crash into the snow, and a hand snaked around her ankle, pulling hard.She lost her balance, and fell, catching one of the landing skids, and swinging herself into a more secure position.As secure as one could be hanging off a helicopter skid at any rate.

Janice was wondering whom Tundra thought she was playing with.Like this was her first time being thrown out of a helicopter, or hanging onto a dangerous perch.The two women faced each other for a moment, holding onto the helicopter and trying to find the best angle of attack on the other.This was going to be tricky but…Janice dropped, catching the skid, and swinging forward and then up.One foot hooked the skid behind Tundra, pulling her up rapidly, and the other was a direct blow to Tundra's midsection.Tundra fell back, the wind nearly knocked out of her.She lost her balance, her hand losing contact with the helicopter, and then she was falling into empty air.She struck out, making contact, and gripping it with desperate strength.

Janice felt Tundra grab her, and the weight jerked her leg off of the skid.For a sickening moment, she thought she was going down too, but her elbow was hooked around the skid, holding her on for now as they dangled high in the open air.She kicked once, nearly dislodging herself in the process, but Tundra had a death grip on her ankle.Janice's arms were straining, and she knew she wasn't going to be able to hold on for long.


	27. Last Dance

Cole wasn't expecting the sight that greeted him when he glanced to the left; just a few seconds after Janice tore after her n

Cole wasn't expecting the sight that greeted him when he glanced to the left; just a few seconds after Janice tore after her nemesis.Janice was hanging off of the skid with that woman holding onto her ankle.There was no way Janice was going to be able to climb up, and if he tried to hit Tundra against a tree, chances were the impact would jar Janice loose as well.

He was coming to a clearing large enough to land this thing, and headed for it.Tundra was good enough to deal with Janice, he was sure, but she was no match for him.The trick was going to be landing this thing without squashing Janice in the process.Luckily he'd kept up with flying different kinds of aircraft.Helicopters weren't what he'd used while just a pilot in the Air Force, but since being assigned to the Pentagon for "special assignments" he'd gotten back into practice with flying a lot of different things.

He didn't have time.Janice was strong, but she wasn't going to be able to hold both their weights forever.One chance at this.His enhanced vision scanned the clearing, looking for the best place.Ah, there!The snow was deep enough to provide some cushioning, and he couldn't see any large rocks that could hurt her in a fall.Now it was just a matter of getting close enough.

He dropped the helicopter down, trying to position it carefully over the right spot.Janice was probably going to kill him for this later, and all he could do was hope she'd get the chance.Tundra might have another weapon on her, and if he tried to lower them to the ground, she would be the first to touch and have the second needed to get it out.They were about ten feet off of the ground, and the snow being kicked up was blinding to norms.If Janice lost her hold, they both had better hit at the same time.He was in position.He jerked the helicopter to the left; dipping it hard and then jerking it back straight.

Janice knew she only had a few more seconds before she let go of the skid.Her arms were cramped; her entire body feeling like it was being torn in half.They were close enough to the ground to be kicking up snow, and it was making the skids wetter and harder to hold on to.Suddenly the helicopter dipped, and the weight clinging to her was gone.She had a fraction of a second to register it when the helicopter straightened.The second jerk was one to many.She lost contact with the skid, and it was too wet for her to regain her hold, the noise from the rotors masking the screamed curse as she headed for the ground.

She didn't fall too far, and the snow cushioned some of the impact.Still, it stunned her for a moment, and she couldn't see really.Hopefully Tundra couldn't either.The helicopter moved away, and Janice could see the figure lying still in the snow.Tundra.She could almost reach out and touch her.Another couple of feet over and she would have landed on her.Wouldn't have mattered really.Tundra was looking rather unconscious as it was.

Janice got to her feet, feeling a little shaky.Damn, Cole had been crazy to drop them here.It was flat right there, but too close was a slope they could have rolled right down.Ah hell, what did it matter now?It had been a tough day, even by her standards.Heather shouldn't be too hard to find now.They would be back at the lodge soon and a hot bath was sounding better and be…

Tundra sprang off of the ground, bright metal gleaming from her hand.She was aiming low for the femoral artery in the thigh.A hit there would be just as fatal as a throat wound.Janice had been trained to always keep an eye on the enemy, even if you think they're out and that training saved her life right then and there.She was able to jerk back an inch, feeling the blade rip through cloth and skate across her skin, but not biting deeply.

Janice lost her balance, falling backwards, and Tundra was on top of her in a heartbeat as they wrestled for control of the knife.Janice's abused arm muscles screamed in protest as she fought to wrest away control of the knife.Tundra was smaller, but she was strong.Neither was watching where they were going, and suddenly they were both rolling down the slope, still locked in mortal combat.When they reached the bottom, Tundra was back on top, but the knife to the side of Janice's face for just a second, and she head butted Tundra.She jerked back from the blow, and Janice flipped her off of her.

Both women were on their feet in a flash.Tundra knew she only had a few more seconds before he managed to land that helicopter.She wouldn't be able to deal with him in single combat.No human could.But Nightshade didn't know about the gun in her boot.If she bent over to get it out, Nightshade would be on her before she could draw.Quite all right.It would be easier to get her and him closer together and she would be able to take them both.True, she was going to have to sacrifice the adult merchandise, but sometimes, drastic measures were needed to salvage a job.

Janice kept her eye on the knife.She was going to have to keep it from her for just a few more minutes.Cole was landing the helicopter on the level ground above.She was probably going to deck him for dropping her off of the skid, but first he was going to help her take down this psycho bitch.Janice dropped like she was going to do a leg sweep.Tundra swept down with the knife, jumping out of the way to the side.Janice timed the move right, and instead of going for the knees, had aimed short, and caught Tundra in the wrist instead.The knife flew from her hand, landing into a pile of snow.Now the playing field was a bit more fair.

Anger lent her speed.She ducked a kick, leaping up and fired off several punches, the last one getting through Tundra's rapid blocks.Tundra stumbled back, blood suddenly flowing from her nose.Janice was immediately on the attack again.They exchanged blows for a few more seconds.A figure appeared at the top of the slope, and desperation gave Tundra a slight burst of speed.If this didn't work she was going to die.She faked like a punch had made better contact than it did, falling back, and when Janice came in for the kill, she kicked hard, catching Janice full in the chest, throwing her backwards on her back.

Tundra had the second she needed.Her gun was out in a fraction of a second.She smiled at seeing Nightshade's expression as she jumped back to her feet.The gun was small, but still quite deadly.Tundra circled quickly, getting Janice between her and the Manticore that had come down the slope almost too quickly for the eye to follow.She jumped forward, catching Janice from behind and putting the gun to her head.Cole stopped immediately.Emotion was overshadowing the proper thing to do.How weak.How predictable.How wonderful…for her.They wouldn't be around long enough to regret his weakness.

"Hands up," Tundra hissed at Cole.He held them up, something resembling a cold smile touching the edges of his mouth.Tundra was a little angry for herself for being just a bit frightened of him even though she had the hostage.Forget even thinking that she could bring him in.All these non-humans needed to die.They were nothing more than humanoid pit bulls.Bred to be dangerous to real humans.

"You want me," he said calmly."Let her go, and I'll go with you."He was coming closer to them.Damn it, she couldn't just kill Nightshade like this.She would lose her only leverage.An idea formed.

"I'm no fool," Tundra said.She didn't see Janice roll her eyes.That was debatable.Tundra smirked.He needed to be distracted for a moment.She let go of Janice and pushed her forward a little and then suddenly kicked her hard in the back, shoving her hard into Cole.Janice slammed into Cole's chest.He stumbled backwards, tripping over a rock and pulling her flat on the ground with him.Janice knew full well that was not something Cole would do.He'd caught her weight before with even more force behind it without so much as flinching.Her eyes caught his face and for a brief second she was stunned.He seemed to be looking peripherally, but his pupils had twisted, dilating to swallow the entire iris.Then they snapped back to normal.His arms were locked around her, not letting her jump up.He squeezed slightly, and in a flash Janice understood.He could see something she couldn't.There was a reason he wanted to be low to the ground, and she damn well better stay that way too.

"How adorable," Tundra mocked, seeing what looked like a hug.She was pleased to see Nightshade twist around.She wanted to see her face when she died.He was still holding her.Oh, how terribly sweet."I would have thought that you were trained to not be weak," she said to Cole."I myself have never let personal business interfere with my missions.Have you merely weakened over the years or do Americans even allow their science projects to get away with being overly emotional?"

She aimed carefully."Not that it matters anyways.Goodbye."A single shot rang through the clearing.For a heartbeat in time Tundra looked shocked, seeing the arterial spray where her hand holding the gun had just been.The bullet had fragmented on impact, shredding through her hands.She only had a brief second to worry.Another crack of a rifle and she dropped to her knees, collapsing face first in the snow.The head wound made a much more gruesome mess than the other.

Cole got to his feet, helping Janice up.Two shadows in the trees became solid as they emerged, and Cole was grinning.A familiar-looking blonde man and woman walked to them, carrying rifles.Janice placed them suddenly.Heather's parents.She had met them in September at parent's night at school.Mrs. Raleigh was a volunteer at school.Ok.So a library volunteer could shoot better than she could.Too bad it wasn't out in school.That would keep the brats in line.

"Hey Leecee.Zack," Cole greeted."About time you two showed up for the party."


	28. Meet the Parents

Alicia pulled a cell phone out of her pocket

Alicia pulled a cell phone out of her pocket.She listened for a moment."Quit bitching," she snapped."It wasn't that fucking loud."There was a slight pause."Keep your eyes open if you don't mind.We got one, but I don't see my kid."She was glaring at Cole as she hung up.

"Chinese spy satellite," she answered Cole before he had to ask."Logan's still pretty handy at getting into things like that.We've been following you and the other one.Where's my daughter?"

Cole recognized the tone.It was usually used right before death and destruction on a grand scale was about to erupt.It had been a while since he'd heard it to that exact degree, but he remembered it clearly."We had to split up," he said."What other what?"

"The other helicopter," Zack supplied when Alicia didn't answer.Her eyes were riveted onto Janice.She didn't notice Cole's eyes widen in surprise, but Zack did."You don't know there appears to be someone else looking for my daughter?" he asked evenly.An outside observer would think him unconcerned.Anyone that knew him would know that was his way of keeping a tight reign on his self-control.He was on the edge of causing great pain to Cole's body.He didn't actively dislike Cole, but he never really trusted him like Alicia did.If anything happened to Heather because he was too busy with some woman rather than taking care of the mission, Cole was going to be a in a world of pain.

Cole glanced over at Janice."He say anything about a second ride?"

"Probably the buyer," Janice suggested."Maybe he had some backup troops of his own."She wasn't prepared to be off her feet in half a heartbeat, a hand wrapped around her throat lifting her up.Alicia had moved too fast to even be seen much less stopped.

"And exactly who the fuck are you really?" she hissed.Janice would have replied, but she was having a hard enough time trying to breathe.Fighting Alicia would be impossible.She wasn't injured at all, and already in a bad mood.Cole grabbed Alicia's arm fast, his fingers digging into a pressure point in the wrist making her fingers release.Alicia's hand flicked open, dropping Janice to the ground.He didn't let go of Alicia's arms.Janice was too close to death at that moment.

"She's with me!" he snapped quickly.Alicia's eyes met his, cold enough to freeze anyone in their tracks.He had sworn to her that there was nobody that he knew ever watching her kids.He'd promised to keep them below radar.Alicia felt hands on her shoulders and knew Zack was going to stop her from killing that woman until he knew why.

"Heather's gym teacher is talking about buyers," Alicia said coldly, still glaring at Cole.Cole knew Alicia had a real problem with the idea of buyers, and a bigger one about her kid being watched.Zack tightened his grip on her.

When Janice saw Heather's father glare at her, she saw red.He recognized her now.Damn it, this whole fiasco was not her fault and she was sick of it.It wasn't her kid, or her niece, or anyone else.Hell, if she hadn't thought Heather was meeting a boy last night, she wouldn't have gone after her.Janice thought that Cole might be able to temper Heather's mother, but instinct said Heather's father didn't give a damn if Cole tried to stop him.He'd go through Cole if need be.

"That's it!" Janice yelled, getting to her feet."I've been shot, stabbed and dropped off of a helicopter for this?Next time, I won't bother to save your kid's ass!" she yelled at Alicia and Zack. She glared at all three of them.They hadn't been expecting this explosion of temper.Most people would be terrified of being outnumbered three to one by the genetically engineered.Janice wasn't most people.

"Janice," Cole tried to say, but she cut him off cold.

"Don't even try it soldier," she snarled."I'm going to get Kevin, slap some sense into him and maybe get a shower and something to eat before going back to my pathetic little teaching job, and the rest of you can kiss my non-genetically engineered ass!Good luck finding the kids before the remnants do."She whirled around and started stalking away, not caring what direction she was going.She just wanted to get the hell away from them.Hell, her watch had a compass on it.That was all she needed.Not that it would probably matter at all.Not when two armed genetically engineered killing machines were probably going to have a shooting contest in about ten seconds.It didn't matter.

"Disavowed CIA," Cole whispered to Zack and Alicia to explain."She didn't know until today."

"You really think he didn't send her?" Zack asked doubtfully.He may have become less vigilant with the dissolution of Manticore, but outside of Alicia he had never lost his suspicion of the X-6 group, and what their goals were.Cole was the only one they had contact with, but the others were out there.

"I know he didn't," Cole said, watching Janice leave.

Zack shrugged."She knows too much now," he commented almost casually, and went to shoulder his rifle.Alicia grabbed his shoulder instantly to pause him for a second.Sometimes Zack just shot first and asked questions later.It was annoying, but a holdover of his being on the run for so long.She dealt with it.

"Is she still of use?" she asked Cole.You didn't kill someone until his or her usefulness was at an end.Maybe it wasn't until the tenth year at Manticore that lesson was taught.Cole didn't bother to answer.It was drag her back or she was going to die.He just ran fast to catch up to her.

"You're not going anywhere, so don't bother," he said quickly, grabbing Janice's shoulder and whipping her around.She was pissed."The second you turn away, you might hear the rifle shot that kills you, but I doubt it."She didn't back down.

"You really think I give a damn anymore?"Her voice was flat, devoid of any emotion at all.

"Well I do, so deal with it," he snapped back, the words out of his mouth before he even knew what he was going to say.Her eyes widened slightly at the intensity of his tone and words."I mean," he stumbled, trying to get the right words out, "I don't want to see you hurt because they're stressed."God, he sounded like an idiot.She still had that slightly wide-eyed look."Don't go," he finally said softly.

Janice knew that a few minutes before she had been too tired to care about anything anymore.That last show of temper had sucked the remaining bits of emotion from her.Nothing really mattered.Sure, save Kevin from himself.And then?Who cared?What was left out there for her?Cyra was used to her being gone by now.She'd live with it.Well, it seemed that there was one person right there that wanted her slightly alive. 

"There's only one way to help Kevin, isn't there?" she finally said.Cole was visibly relieved.He really didn't want her to get killed.That was kind of sweet in a twisted sort of way.She glanced up at Heather's parents as they started to walk back.Tracking us this whole time, she thought idly.Tracking.

The thought locked into her head, catching and not letting go.Janice knew when that happened, she paid attention.Tracking.Why was tracking so important?They had been tracked by satellite.There was another helicopter.Tracking the kids?How?Same routes going back to the lodge?No.Buyer would be more careful.Tracking.The boy had a Search and Rescue vest on.Tracking.Search and rescue always had those GPS-guided map units.Christ.

They were almost to Alicia and Zack when Janice stopped suddenly."He's leading them right to them," she muttered, not noticing the alarm her sudden stop had caused.She was on the edge of being shot anyways, but that didn't matter for a moment as all the cross-connections were made in her mind.

"Janice?" Cole asked.He didn't need her spooking Alicia and Zack any more than she already was.Janice looked up, her eyes bright with understanding.

"The boy's leading the other helicopter right to them and he doesn't even know it," she answered quickly.The other three stiffened."We've got to work fast.Mr. Chinese Spy Satellite a good hacker or just lucky?"


	29. Hack Fast

How many times in your life do you get to be outnumbered by super soldiers on your way to rescue a couple of kids from mercena

How many times in your life do you get to be outnumbered by super soldiers on your way to rescue a couple of kids from mercenaries, Janice thought to herself as they were bumping through the air.She'd managed to go from enemy to hero in about two minutes.Well, not quite hero, but less likely to be target practice.She'd been in worse predicaments.Hell, if it's your time to go, at least go in a spectacular way.It didn't get any better than this.

It was Zack that had given her the phone.Alicia had tried to protest, but Janice was already giving directions to the other end.After about ten seconds, they all realized she knew exactly what she was doing.It was pretty impressive to realize that she was annoyed at Logan's lack of skill in hacking certain systems.All of them had long considered him the best at it, albeit the admission was more reluctant coming from some.

Janice had heard Alicia call him Logan on the phone, and she had excellent voice recognition.Logan.Logan Cale.Janna Cale's father.She had met him last month at a parent-teacher conference.Him and his wife Max.Was one of them a member of the barcode club?Probably.Didn't matter at this point.

"You got about three seconds to get in and bypass security or all hell is going to break loose when you hack SYSEC," she greeted."You ready?"

"Who the hell is this?" Logan asked, bewildered.Sure.Break into SYSEC.It was impossible.He'd tried.More than once.There were so many false fronts and trap doors, and everything was on a timer.If you didn't have someone on the inside, it couldn't be done.

"Janice Miller," she replied pertly."By the way, Janna is going to fail gym if she doesn't start dressing out and participating, but that's beside the point.Do you know the approach key to SYSEC or not?"Her tone conveyed every bit of her disgust at having to deal with an amateur.

The others could only listen with amazement as she started firing off directions.She mentioned something about looping the secondary functions, and then none of them had a clue as to what she was talking about.Finally she paused for a second."Ok, wait exactly thirty seconds and then hit escape four times."She covered the receiver and explained to the others still looking a little dazed."My roommate was a great hacker for the agency.When our apartment had to get fumigated, we were at Langley real late, and he put in all sort of neat things for me to learn on."

"And they're still there?" Zack asked suspiciously.

Janice shrugged, waiting for Logan to hit the next bounce point."DiAngelo was a sweetie, but he liked to drink and drove fast when he got drunk.He wasn't around long enough to remove what he did."She was back with Logan, and less than ninety seconds after starting, he was fully embedded in the new and alien world of SYSEC.Janice didn't give him time to look around and explore.They had work to do.

"Pull the satellite systems and jump to the one named Mouse," she ordered.This was it."Search Colorado, localize to Search and Rescue units, and look for one way out away from any of the others.There's going to be a tracer line on his coming from local."

Logan sounded a little impressed when he gave her the coordinates.Janice repeated them, not doubting that at least one of the three were likely to be able to recall those numbers."I thought GPS units couldn't be tracked," Logan commented."They tracked the satellites, not the other way around."

Janice snorted."And I bet you believe them when they say that the other shot came from the grassy knoll, don't you."She hung up before he had a chance to respond."The first set is where the kids are," she announced."The second is where their tracker is.He's not far from here and it can be arranged that he starts giving bad information."She smirked.This was exactly what she was best at, and it did feel good to be back in action.

Arranging for bad information was much easier with a group of genetically engineered soldiers.They had been closer to the lodge than Janice had thought, and the trackers were in a maintenance shack at the edge of the property.There had been one guy acting as a lookout, and one on the inside.Janice was almost amused watching Zack and Alicia take care of them.They had simply come up in the helicopter, and Zack had jumped about thirty feet straight down and taken the first guy out without a struggle.Alicia had followed, and they went into the shack to interrogate.Janice didn't ask how it went.Alicia was wiping blood off of her when she got back in a minute later.That said enough.

"Male subject answered the com," Alicia reported coldly."He thanked us for the new information and broke off."

Zack was looking more thoughtful.He glanced over at his wife, her look confirming his suspicions."Too casual," he said softly.It didn't take a genius to understand what Zack meant.The guy could afford to be casual.He already had the kids in sight.


	30. The Enemy of My Enemy

Jon checked the map again

Jon checked the map again.They weren't terribly far now, he thought as they hiked the side of a steep gorge.Another hour at this pace and they would probably be at the lodge safe and sound.From what Heather had said, nobody was going to be able to get at them with her parents being there.He was tired, and being safe from anyone chasing them seemed like a pretty good idea.He didn't care if Heather's parents were going to give him a massive interrogation before taking Heather out, as long as he got out of the cold for a while.

It had almost been fun walking with Heather after the incident with the helicopter.She told him more about her family, and he had almost died laughing thinking about her cousin Janna as a little half-ling.She was a couple of years younger, but her reputation as a hell-raiser proceeded her already.Jon had heard one teacher say that she was glad she was going to retire before having to have Janna Cale in her class.It made sense that Janna was more advanced than anyone thought.

He told her about his family, and his uncle and all the fun they had together in Utah.They talked about plans for the future, and what they wanted to do, and where they wanted to go to college.It was weird that the rules about getting to know someone that you were interested in had been totally thrown out the window.They were just holding hands and talking as they walked.If there weren't bad guys out to kill or kidnap them, it would be the totally best first date he'd ever been on.

Heather couldn't wait to get back to the lodge.Chances were, Uncle Cole and Miss. Miller were already there, if not, they were off kicking the bad guys right back to England, especially that woman.She was scary.Like Mom with an attitude scary.Maybe worse since Heather knew her mom wouldn't just start killing people for sport.That other woman might hunt people just cause she liked to.

"So, I was screaming 'Janna Jacqueline Cale, don't even think about it'," Heather was saying, laughing as she told the story of how Janna and the twins almost wrecked the christening of one of their cousins."And everyone was inside, and Uncle Zane wasn't thrilled about the whole deal anyways, but his girlfriend said since he wouldn't marry her, he didn't get to choose.Anyways, Elizabeth gets hold of…" her words trailed off.She stopped and cocked her head slightly, her enhanced vision scanning the area.She could have sworn she heard something.

Jon looked around, but he couldn't see or hear anything.He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but she made a shushing gesture.She looked around, and then continued talking, but her expression clearly said she wasn't satisfied.There was something there."Thought I heard something," she said as brightly as she had just been talking.Her eyes weren't as bright though.They started walking again, and Jon could tell that Heather was listening more than talking this time.

"So, um, how many kids does your uncle have?" Jon asked in what he hoped was a normal tone.If Heather wanted to act like nothing was wrong, then he better play along.

"Five," Heather replied, glad that Jon had gotten the hint."By five different mothers."She sighed."He had to leave Alabama because the third one was the county sheriff's daughter and Karen's daddy had the law looking for him since Karen was seventeen and he was twenty-seven when they started their affair.The man needs to be more careful."Jon grinned.Well, it was kind of a funny story.Dad hadn't thought it was funny.He had used words like soprano and eunuch for a month every time Zane was mentioned.

While she talked, Heather kept using her enhanced vision trying to find what was out there.Sure, it could have been an animal, but it didn't sound like one.It was moving deliberately, the noise an accident.An animal would have kept making noise if it had been spooked and was running through the woods.Whoever it was, they were keeping low and undercover.Heather really wished they were already at the lodge.She had come to the conclusion that she wasn't cut out for the cloak and dagger kind of life.Too bad her existence was a cloak and dagger move in and of itself.

There was the noise again, but closer this time.Too close.Damn, where was he?There was too much cover above them, and they were too open walking on this ledge.It was faster travel, but they should have gone the long way, Heather thought angrily.She knew better than that.The noise was behind them.Time to widen the gap.

"On three, run," she hissed.Whoever was after them would run too.They'd expose themselves, and she knew she could take them out as soon as she had them.Her parents or Uncle Cole or Miss Miller would have identified themselves by now.It had to be enemy forces.

Jon felt his heart accelerate at her whispered order.Not again.Screw it, they'd gotten away once, they'd do it again."One," she murmured, her lips barely moving, "Two…THREE!" she shouted and they both started running.Heather wasn't going all out; she was keeping pace with Jon.She could have left him in the dust easily, but she wasn't going to abandon him.The noises behind them weren't subtle anymore.They were more constant, and…oh God…they seemed just a bit closer.

Heather grabbed Jon's hand, tugging him to get him to run up the slope so they could get into the trees.They changed direction suddenly, scrambling up the incline.There was a short vertical wall, and they threw themselves up it, the safety of the trees dead ahead.Heather was able to jump up easily, turning, and grabbing Jon to get him the rest of the way up.They both spun around and stopped dead.

There was a man there.He was new to them.Mostly new.Heather thought he might have been at the caves, but she wasn't sure.The high-powered rifle he was aiming at them made introductions rather pointless.He wasn't dumb though.His eyes were on Heather but the rifle wasn't aimed at her.It was at Jon.

"Stand down," he ordered coldly.He didn't have to say anything else.It was her life or Jon's and there wasn't an Uncle Cole nearby to bail her out this time.The options were quite clear, and none of them offered a solution that Heather liked.Surrender or Jon would die.If the gun was pointed at her, she could dodge it and telekinetically yank it out of his hands.But if he knew she could do that, and after everything, he just might, he was probably holding onto it too tight for her to get it out of his hands fast enough to keep him from shooting Jon.Jon couldn't move fast enough to dodge, and at this range, he would be dead before he hit the ground.

He's going to be too fast anyways, Heather thought, as she slowly raised her hands.He was behind us, and he managed to get around me.He had to be from Manticore, or maybe that Canadian thing, what was it, Project Hades?Whoever he was, he had the upper hand…for the moment.Heather knew she wasn't going down without a fight.This was just a tactical surrender.

"I'm the one you want," she said calmly."I'll go with you, just let him go.He doesn't know anything, I swear."She hoped that was convincing enough.

"Then if you're not careful, he won't know why he gets killed," the man replied.There was absolutely no sanity at all in his gaze.He couldn't be reasoned with.Jon was watching him closely.Whoever he was, he was insane.He'd had to go visit his cousin in a mental ward, and the look in their eyes, the ones who had completely lost base with reality, it was a look you never forgot.And he could see it very clearly in this guy.Neither of them was getting out of this.He was going to kill them both.

Heather stepped to the side, away from Jon.Swing it towards me, she thought angrily.Why are you being so smart you jerk?I just need a diversion.Just a second.Even if he is enhanced, I still have a chance.Even Dad has a hard time dealing with me when I go kinetic on him, and he can't be better than Dad.

Jon didn't say anything.He was waiting.When Heather stepped away from him, the guy's attention went to her.Adrenaline flooded Jon's body.God, this was insane.But it had to be better than being led to the slaughter.

Jon jumped to the side and forward, grabbing the barrel of the rifle, and pushing it down.Everything happened in the blink of an eye.The explosion of the rifle going off was deafening, snow melting and flying everywhere, and then suddenly the rifle was out of his hands, hung suspended in the air over the gorge for a heartbeat, and then fell towards the rocks below.The man, his hands suddenly free hit Jon, knocking him hard into Heather, throwing them both to the ground.Pain from a sharp use of telekinesis dulled Heather just for a second, long enough for him to pull out a nine-millimeter pistol.

For a second everyone was frozen in place.Heather and Jon were on the ground, and now he was going to kill them both right then and there.Over the side, Heather's mind ordered.Throw him over the side now!The man didn't notice his feet lift a few inches when the shout rang out.

"FREEZE!"The words boomed out as a man and a woman came around a corner, both armed, and aiming for the strange man.Heather dropped him, making him stumble a step, but he was recovered instantly.Jon glanced at Heather and she shrugged.It would seem everyone had been invited.Whoever they were, they could temporarily be classified as friends.

"Don't even breathe, Hawk," the man ordered their assailant.The woman wasn't saying anything, but the disgust on her face said more than words could.

"Well, well," Hawk sneered."So the illustrious Mr. Brickman decides to come down from on high and make sure his little charges stay classified huh?What got you slumming it today?Actually getting into the field and doing real work instead of being an armchair spy like always?"He looked at the woman."So what, I'm a terrorist now?Hey, you know where your commander got the idea for that barcode?It was from watching some semi-humans play.He got you to mark yourselves like animals."

Brickman and the woman ignored his taunts."Put the gun down and back away from the kids," Brickman ordered firmly.

Hawk's sneer turned malicious, but his fingers opened and the gun fell to the snow.None of them noticed it slide back so that it was within Heather's reach."There," Hawk said."Totally unarmed now.By your own precious laws you just have to uphold, you have to take me in now.Can't kill an unarmed man, and there's witnesses to prove I gave up."His grin was triumphant.He'd been trained to break out of any prison, no matter what the security.They knew that.But, what were they going to do?They were slaves to the law.They were nothing.

"You know Xan," the woman finally spoke up, addressing Brickman, "he is right.The law says since he surrendered, he has to be taken into custody."Her lips suddenly curved up in an almost feline smile.Oh my God, Heather thought, her eyes widening in shock.That's Mom's smile!

"But there's one nice thing about being semi-human," she said to Hawk, her tone nothing short of deadly."Laws meant for humans just don't apply to us.We learned that at a very young age."

The triumphant look Hawk was wearing fell off of his face like a mask shattering on the snow.He understood.In that brief moment, the gun barrels enlarged, and he knew.Brickman hadn't been assigned as the Manticore keeper.Not at all.

"And most importantly," Brickman said quietly, "you should never have fucked with our niece."Both of them pulled the triggers at the same instant, three times in rapid succession.Hawk reeled backwards, blood spurting from the wounds in his chest and torso, one bullet finding its way to his heart, dropping him to the ground.He let out a gasp of air, a bubble of blood from his mouth staining the snow, and then was silent.


	31. Family or Foe?

For a moment, all was quiet as the four sets of eyes sized each other up

For a moment, all was quiet as the four sets of eyes sized each other up."It's ok," the woman finally said, holstering her gun."We're here to help."She glanced over at Brickman."Can you believe her?" she asked with a little smile.He returned it.

"No kidding," he said softly."If she was a blonde…"

"If anyone could pull off a Peter Pan number, it would be Alicia," she finished.

X-6, Heather thought somewhere between elation and terror as her and Jon got to their feet.The stiff wasn't the one behind us, they were.She glanced down at Hawk's bare neck, exposed when the hood of his parka fell back as he was being removed from equation.Not Manticore.Our niece they'd said.They knew mom.Had to be X-6.Good sense warred with curiosity, and finally won out.Dad had said mom's other sibs were a threat, and until otherwise proven, they were a threat.

"Don't be scared about us having to shoot him," Brickman said to them, noting their wary expressions.He was trying to sound soothing, but to Heather and Jon, it sounded like he was next going to ask if they needed fresh Pampers."He was a bad man out to hurt you, and we had to keep him from doing that."

Heather's eyes narrowed."So you could be the ones to get your hands on the X-7?" she snapped.She was sick of being a prize.Their expressions weren't acknowledging her as a real threat.She could change that attitude quickly.She was just as good as them, better even."Stay away from me," she warned when Brickman went to take a step forward.The still unnamed woman grabbed his shoulder.

"Don't spook her anymore than she already is Xander," she snapped."She could be X-5 fast.You want your ass kicked again by an X-5?"She smirked and he glared at her for a moment.While their attention was turned, Jon felt Heather press something against his back.The gun Hawk had dropped.If they had to make a fast break, she wanted him to have it.She had other means of offensive capabilities.

"There were two of them in New York," Brickman reminded the woman.

"From what I remember, it was you and Lon up against one X-5 and she kicked your butts collectively and made off with the objective," came the crisp reply.She was hoping their little side talk would get the girl to relax a little.Poor kid must be half out of her mind after the day's events.Xander knew what they were doing.If the kid thought she could out move them both, she might calm down.

"She didn't take us down," Xander corrected her, "she merely held us at bay until the other one showed up.And it took both of them to keep us busy so that the two norms could remove the objective."Or something close to that at any rate.He wanted the kid to relax, but not at certain costs to pride.She wasn't looking convinced though.

"Listen," the woman said evenly to Heather, "all we're going to do is get you off this mountain and safe again.There might be more men out there still trying to kidnap you, and we're just here to help get you home."

"Yeah, right," Heather said, not believing a word of it.Were they stalling for time?Maybe there was a TAC team or something coming.She was going to have to get rid of these two quickly, and do it without getting Jon hurt.Well…if they didn't notice…

"How do I know you're really here to help?" she said quickly, trying to sound a little uncertain.They'd think she was just a scared kid."I mean, I don't even know who you are except you attack X-5's and you killed him."She indicated the body lying in the snow.

The woman smiled."I'm Shawna," she introduced."He's Xander, and we grew up with your mother.She's our sister, and we want to keep an eye out on her kid."

"You've been following me," Heather accused.They weren't noticing.Jon had, but he wasn't staring, making them notice.He was getting smarter by the minute.

"Part of my job is to make sure that if anyone starts wanting biosynth technology, they don't get anything that used to belong to Manticore," Xander said quickly."We knew there was someone looking to make a sale, and that you were here, and I was watching out for you.You didn't notice me at the airport, and you didn't notice one of the people who were looking to sell you either."He smiled warmly.God, she was so much like Alicia."We're not trying to reinstate Manticore.You got away from us last night, and we couldn't help you, but you seemed to manage getting away quite well on your own up until a minute ago.We saw you two walking, and then landed so that we could follow you to make sure nothing happened.All we're going to do is make sure you get back to your parents safely."

It sounded convincing.Maybe it was true.But did they not know that Uncle Cole was there?If they were really working to make sure she was safe, why hadn't they mentioned him, unless they didn't know he was there?No, they had to have known.Why else would he have been in Colorado except to protect her, and they knew she was going to be there too.If they were really there to help her, they would have been with Cole.

Heather took a step back, Jon moving with her.He knew what she was about to do, and he was ready to start running like hell."I'm not going anywhere with you," she snarled."I know how much you all want to get hold of one of us," she said, still backing away."You're not getting your hands on me and that's final!" she shouted.

Xander rolled his eyes.He was cold, tired, and not in the mood to deal with a teenager's hysterics.Well, at least they proved the kid wasn't her mother's clone."Kid," he snapped, "there's no way you're getting away from two of us, especially not with a norm to look out for.Lay off the whining and let's get moving."Heather didn't reply.A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth, and her eyes sparkled with malevolence.

"You got to catch me first," she taunted.Xander's eyes narrowed in anger.

"Xan?" Shawna said softly."Look down."She had gone to take a step and get them when she had noticed it.Xander looked down, paling at the sight.They were easily six inches off of the ground.Xander's eyes met Shawna's.

"No wonder they wanted the X-7's so much," Xander muttered.This was unreal.They both looked back at Heather.Lifting was nothing to her.Not even a pulse of a headache.

"I can keep you dangling for hours, maybe even days," she lied.Maybe another five minutes was more like it.She paused for a moment.The wind had started to change direction, and a sound that had been getting carried away was now being brought to them.Heather knew that sound.A helicopter.She had been right!They were bringing in reinforcements!

With a sudden vicious thrust, she shoved Xander and Shawna to the edge of the gorge."Tell them to go away!" she screamed as the helicopter came around a corner, approaching fast.

"They're not ours," Shawna yelled, trying to do something, anything, to get back onto the ground.

"Don't make me do it," she cried out, focused on them.Oh God, they weren't calling them to back off.

Jon could see the side of the approaching helicopter was open, and there was someone standing, ready to come out.Maybe Heather could see them better, but the sun glinted off of the rifle in hand, and for a moment, it looked like it was aiming at them.He grabbed Heather, hauling her down.

"They're armed!" he heard himself shouting.Heather didn't reply.Her eyes still closed, she simply let her mind release the weight it had been fighting to keep airborne.


	32. X-6 Reunion

Heather didn't see what happened next, but Jon did

Heather didn't see what happened next, but Jon did.One second Shawna and Xander were hanging in the air, the next they were plummeting to the gorge below.Shawna was closer to the edge and twisted in the air, catching the edges of the rocks and holding onto them for dear life.Xander had been further out.There wasn't anything close enough for him to grab including Shawna.

The helicopter that had been approaching was practically on top of them, and it suddenly went into a dive after him.Jon caught a glimpse of a blonde woman falling out of the side of the helicopter, a rope trailing after her.He wanted to go to the edge and look, but Shawna had swung herself back up onto solid ground, and she looked just a little pissed.A second later, the helicopter started getting louder again.Shawna looked torn between killing them and seeing what was going on.To Jon's relief, she checked below first.

Heather looked up when she heard Shawna's shout of triumph.She hadn't killed them both.Was that good or bad?She really didn't want to kill anyone, the man back at the cave was more reflex than thought, but she didn't want anyone else attacking her today.She had reached her limit of tolerance.

The helicopter was coming back up the side of the gorge.Snow was blowing everywhere, but Heather could still see into the cockpit.She wasn't sure, but…wait, beside the pilot…that was Uncle Cole and Ms. Miller!Heather jumped to her feet.Oh my God, she thought desperately, what have I done?Then she noticed the rope dangling from the side.A few seconds later, and the wind had cleared enough to see what had happened.Mom was dangling at the end of the rope, her leg twisted up in it, one arm extended in an iron grip around Xander's wrist.

They swung over solid ground, and Alicia let him go, easily untangling herself and dropping to the ground beside him.For a moment she stood there facing her brother and sister that she hadn't seen in almost twenty years.Then she promptly hauled off and slugged Xander in the shoulder, a hit that would probably have broken a norm's bones.He just winced.

"I still can't go five minutes without having to save your ass, can I?" she half yelled at him.For a moment he looked shocked, and then started laughing.

"I wouldn't have needed it if you didn't spawn off a hellion just as bad as you!" he declared, and then grabbed her, pulling her into a tight hug."Good to see you're still there when we need you the most big sister," he whispered into her ear.He let go of her quickly, knowing that she probably wanted to get to her hellion.And she did.

The helicopter had swung around to reposition, Zack repelling out of it as Alicia went to Heather. Heather hugged both of her parents tightly, and then suddenly burst into tears as she realized she really was safe now.Alicia felt herself tearing up while holding her daughter tightly.When Heather and Daniel were little and had been kidnapped, she hadn't been scared.In a matter of a few hours she was literally tearing apart the men that had dared to touch her children.This time, she had been absolutely helpless.Her baby was halfway across the country, and there was nothing she could do to get to her quickly.

"Mom…Dad," Heather managed to get out, "I really was careful, and I didn't tell anyone at school or anything, and…" she was sniffing again.

"It's okay, honey," Alicia said."You couldn't predict this."

"We didn't see it coming," Zack soothed her, "there's no way you could have either."He'd never been so proud of his daughter in her life.She thought she was in danger and she just popped those two sixers right over the edge.From what Cole had said, she hadn't gotten hysterical once, and had pulled her weight as a member of the team.Who the young man with her still remained to be seen, but for now, he was proud as hell of her.

Heather felt better.They weren't mad at her.Actually, they looked almost proud of her.She took a deep breath.They weren't going to like this part."This is Jonathan," she introduced, stepping back and next to him.He looked like he was about to faint."He totally saved my ass," she said matter-of-factly.She didn't have to tell them that he knew a hell of a lot more than he should.

"We'll deal with that later," Alicia finally said.She needed to deal with Xander and Shawna.It was so strange to see them again.It felt almost like no time had passed at all.How much did they know?Did they resent her?Had Cole told them?She had never asked what he said to the others, and he never volunteered the information.Cole had said right before she had jumped that he saw a decent place to land, and as he moved away, she stood there wondering what to say to them after so long.

"You know," Xander said with a tight grin,"why is it every time that I'm around you two, I end up falling off of high places?"

"The Eiffel Tower was your own fault," Alicia and Shawna promptly responded at the same time.All three broke into a grin.Without hesitating, Alicia went to them, hugging them both in turn.She didn't need to ask any more questions.What had been had been, and they were both so clearly happy to see her again.That's what counted.

Heather couldn't believe how different her mother seemed talking to her siblings.Cole had always been there, but these two acted like they knew a different version of her mother.Well, maybe they did.Cole had adapted to not thinking of Mom as the leader of an elite strike force, but these two seemed like they would be ready to grab her and go off on some wild mission in a moment's notice.Dad had noticed it too from the way he was so tensed.His gaze seemed leveled on Xander, eyes cold, lips taunt.

"This is Xander and Shawna," Heather heard Mom say.She managed to get out a little smile.

"Sorry bout earlier," she said in a small voice."I do things like that when I'm stressed."

Shawna glanced at Alicia with one eyebrow raised."And I thought Lydecker had a tough time with us," she quipped.

Alicia sighed."You have no idea."She looked at her husband.It had been years since she had seen him this tense."And I'm sure you two remember Zack."

Xander rubbed his chin."Not something I'd forget in a long time."Zack wasn't relaxing."Don't worry," he said with a grin, "That's all ancient history now."

"You've been tracking my family," Zack said coldly.

Xander didn't seem the slightest bit put off by the tone."Yeah, well, I've made it my job to keep any of us out of the hands of foreign powers or rogue agents like him," he said, indicating the body lying in the snow."We're not enemies anymore," he said simply.He smirked."Besides, after tangling with you and that little brunette in New York, I learned my lesson about playing with X-5's.I was bruised for a week."

It seemed that the tension slipped just a notch, and then there was a rustling in the woods.Cole and Janice came out onto the ledge.Instantly Xander was gone, and Mr. Brickman, CIA agent extraordinaire was standing there, his Glock targeted right onto Janice.

"I knew you were part of this," he growled."You two always traveled in a pack."His finger caressed the trigger."Be glad you're not worth a slow and painful death."


	33. CIA Matters

One second he was about to pull the trigger, and the next Xander had an empty hand, and Alicia was looking annoyed with him

One second he was about to pull the trigger, and the next Xander had an empty hand, and Alicia was looking annoyed with him."What is it with you men today?" she snapped, dropping the clip out of his gun."You all get together today and decide to think with your guns before brains?"Xander was going to come back with a scathing retort, except that Cole had taken Nightshade to the ground in a protective gesture.That was unexpected.

And the day seemed like it was getting better, Janice thought from the ground.She had walked out from the woods with Cole, thinking that she was going to get to meet a couple more X-6's and instead, there was Brickman.She would have reacted, but Brickman had just learned how fast an X-6 really was.Cole had her on the ground and Alicia had him disarmed before his little threat was barely uttered.The shock on his face was almost funny.For once, she was the one with friends in high places.

Janice had a second to wonder who else was going to show up.It would no longer have surprised her to see Headmaster Webber show up, gun in hand.Brickman.Of course.He had been assigned as a keeper.After every top secret project ended, the CIA had a keeper put over it to watch out for whatever was left and make sure that nobody else got their hands on whatever had been going on.Brickman had all those records on Manticore.He was the keeper.The fact that Shadow, no, her name was Shawna, was with him proved the point.

"She's with us," Cole snarled, standing up, and helping Janice up.God, his brother was a total dip at times.

"No she isn't," Xander retorted.Cole obviously had no idea who he was dealing with.She must not have told him anything.They'd kept track of her.There was no way it was coincidence that she was teaching at the same school Heather went to, and was right there when Heather was threatened.Maybe she had Cole fooled that she didn't know who Hawk was, but he knew better.

"Damn straight I'm not," Janice said coldly, glaring daggers at Brickman."I would never admit to being part of any operation involving you, no matter how much I respected the others involved."If possible the temperature around that area dropped even further as he iced over at that little insult.

Janice smirked at him."Just be glad I'm not in the mood to give you what you really deserve since you're no longer my boss and you can't fire me twice."With a glance she had totally dismissed him, and looked over at the others."The kids alri…" her voice trailed off as she finally noticed the figure still lying in the snow behind them.

Cole had seen it from the helicopter, but she hadn't.He wanted to put his arm around her or something, but knew that would not be the best move at that moment."You bastard," she whispered, and he wasn't sure whom she was directing it at.It could be him since he had promised her that she could deal with Kevin.If he did touch her and it was meant for him she might decide to break his arm, and he would probably have to hurt her to stop her, and he actually would prefer not to.It was bad enough that she might still go after Xander.She didn't realize quite yet that he wasn't just who she thought he was.

She didn't say anything else, just broke from Cole, and went to Kevin's still form in the snow.She knelt beside him, forcing back the tears that wanted to come.For a moment she wasn't seeing his body, but his smile when he came back for her in India when she had told them to leave.It was suicide, but he'd come back anyways and they'd both somehow managed to get out.She remembered him teasing her about not liking being on a submarine.The five of them getting drunk at O'Reilley's Pub the night before his wedding.The day Devon was born.She touched his hair lightly grateful for the friend and teammate that he had been for so very long, mourning him for the mistakes that had brought him here.They weren't all his fault.

"Seulement les bons meurent jeunes," Janice whispered so softly only Manticore hearing could pick it up.It was their traditional toast at weddings and funerals.She had never thought she would have to say it to Kevin a second time.She stood slowly, facing Brickman, the fury in her eyes and body almost scary even to the others.

For a moment, nobody was sure what to do.Alicia and Zack had assumed that Xander or Shawna had taken out the dead man in the snow for threatening Heather, but now Janice was acting like he was her best friend or something.Best friend.In the helicopter, they had heard her mention a Kevin to Cole.Cole didn't look happy, but he had said that he wouldn't interfere.What do you do when your best friend goes rogue?Alicia's French was still pretty current, and she had recognized the words "only the good die young" as well as the motions of ritual.Still, Janice was a norm, and from what Xander had pulled earlier, them two obviously weren't on the best of terms.

"Grover," Janice spat out walking towards Brickman menacingly."Markham, Little, Brewster.But not him.How much did the Riespian family pay you to tell him to drop it?"They were eye to eye now.Janice hadn't always liked being so tall, but for once she was grateful a man didn't have the added intimidation of looking down on her.

Xander didn't back down."You screwed yourselves over," he growled."Don't even think of blaming anyone else.You knew to drop it."

"If it had been your wife that was murdered would you have dropped it?" she hissed."No, you wouldn't have, and it would have been simply unsanctioned, no consequences.A little slap on the hand for you.None of us gave a damn about consequence really.All it would have taken was for one of you to say you do what you have to, but you know the consequences.All he needed was to hear that it couldn't be sanctioned, but you approved.You did that for so many others, why not him?"

"The fact you're alive should speak volumes, now shouldn't it?" he replied."It would have been taken care of had you not taken it upon yourself."Cole's eyes widened at that.Xander had asked him about six months ago if he would mind helping him out with something.

"That's what you needed help with isn't it?" Cole asked Xander, hoping to calm Janice down.The last thing he wanted was for her to get seriously hurt."You needed someone unknown who could take him for messing with one of your own."

Xander looked a little surprised that he would ask such a question."Riespian was out of the question, you should know that."Well, well, big brother did know what was going on.He would say that was a nice change, but Xander had a feeling Cole knew what was going on more than he let on.The fact he was here and wasn't surprised to see Alicia, Zack, or Heather said a great deal."We were just going to return the favor.I think his sister was targeted."

"I see," Janice said softly, bitterly."If I have trusted you...."

"Then Hawk would still be alive, and you would be where you belong," Xander finished.

For a moment there was silence.Xander suddenly let out a sharp squeak, doubling over as Janice removed her knee from his groin.She turned and walked away as he hit his knees, then whipped around suddenly."That was from Melissa!" she shouted at him."And Riespian's sister for that matter!Don't give me any of that "you would have revenged" crap.If you don't have what it takes to go for the cancer, then don't bother treating the stubbed toe!"And Christy thought Granny's saying were useless.Janice glared at him furiously as he tried to recover from the pain.She had strong legs, and hadn't pulled the punch.

"If given the chance to do it over," Janice said coldly."You better damn well believe I would.The only thing I regret is following orders and leaving Virginia when Kevin still needed me."With that she turned and stomped off, the thought of looking at him for another second making her sick.

Xander was having a tough time getting back to his feet, but he managed it.With all the engineering that went into them, he would have thought that one of the male scientists would have made that a less sensitive area of the body. Now his siblings were looking at him like he was a rather repulsive beetle.Damn it, he was doing his job when he told them to drop the subject.It wasn't pretty, but sometimes the bad guys won one.First though, he was going to pay that little bitch back in spades.Christ, she had a bony knee.

"I know that look," Shawna suddenly said to him coldly, "and I know what it means, but if you even twitch to do what you are thinking about doing, I am personally going to kick your ass."Xander went to protest, but she cut him off dead."Do not even tell me that I don't know what I'm talking about, because trust me, I do.That babe did the whole damn world a favor, and you have got no room to act like you weren't glad to see that someone had the guts to do it."

"That's not the point," he said flatly."What I was glad to see has nothing to do with the right thing."Xander glared at Shawna for a second."And I didn't see you protesting taking him out, Madame Morality," he continued indicating the body in the snow.Shawna's eyes narrowed at that remark, and Alicia had to bite back a smile.That little nickname still infuriated her after so long.It was wonderful to see that some things hadn't changed.

"Is she going to take a swing at him?" Heather whispered to her mother.

"No, honey," Alicia replied in the same low tone."That's not efficient enough for my family.We use knives."Heather blinked and looked over at Shawna.She did have a knife on her.Heather suddenly realized that after the last half of an hour, she understood her mother much better.

Alicia felt Zack nudge her and knew exactly what he meant.They really needed to get back and make everything better back in the unclassified world.Also, finding out what this boy beside their daughter knew would be a very good thing.He hadn't said anything really since they'd shown up, so either he was very smart in keeping his mouth shut right then, or just in shock.Zack was being nice and giving her opportunity to deal with her siblings on her own before he took care of them, so she had better get to it.The chances of them living were much higher if she would deal with them.

In the blink of an eye, Alicia was standing beside Shawna, and she was holding the knife Shawna knew she had just had pressed against her palm the second before.Alicia's ability to disarm any of them at any time had always been slightly annoying, and obviously had not dimmed in the slightest over the years.Shawna's attention was turned from Xander, the comment meant to burn him now to be turned onto Alicia.

It died on her tongue.It was not her long-lost sister standing there, but her commanding officer.It was still there in those cold blue eyes that demanded their respect and obedience.Xander saw it to, and was almost amused when he realized how close he was to snapping to attention.There was no arguing with that expression, and anyone who so much as hesitated found his or her ass soundly kicked.

Jon and Heather could see it too."I'm not supposed to be scared of them?" Jon whispered to Heather as quietly as possible.He didn't notice Zack's lip twitch slightly.If Heather was to have a boyfriend, it would be a good thing that he know exactly how much danger he would be in if he hurt her.

"That's nothing," Heather whispered back."You ought to see her when she tells the twins to clean their rooms or else.Nobody's ever seen the 'or else'.We're too scared."Jon swallowed hard, his eyes widening when he heard Heather's mother start to speak.She had seemed so nice when she had told Heather it was okay earlier, but now this sounded like a totally different person.

"You," Alicia said coldly to Shawna, "are going to ignore him until we get my kid off of this pile of rocks, and you," she said jabbing the knife in Xander's direction to emphasize her point, "are going to do whatever the fuck you need to do to find out and eliminate whoever wants to buy one of my kids.If that means apologizing to someone, you're going to do it, am I making myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both chorused before they even knew they were going to, and then looked a little embarrassed.There were some habits that were so ingrained, no matter how many years passed; they would still be there.It was like Lydecker in some ways.Xander far out-ranked him in the scheme of things, but he would still jump to attention whenever he saw him walk into the room.Hell, Shawna out-ranked him militarily, and she still used "sir" with him at all times.

Alicia was looking over their shoulders, a slightly confused expression overshadowing the command one."And we all need to find out what the hell is up with that," she said.They looked over to where Cole had been standing when Janice had stormed off.He was gone, and from the tracks in the snow, he had gone after her without a word to any of them.

Xander sighed."It figures," he said dejectedly."Cole finally decides to actually chase a woman, and she just happens to be the one that wants my balls on a silver platter."Without much enthusiasm he headed off in the direction of the tracks.


	34. Explanations

It was easy enough for Cole to catch up with Janice

It was easy enough for Cole to catch up with Janice.She wasn't running, or trying to move quietly.Not that it would have really mattered, but it made things easier for him to get to her.She finally stopped a few hundred yards away and sat down on a rock, her face in her hands, not moving when he approached her.He couldn't help but be rather impressed by her.It was pretty rare that a norm tangled with a sixer and walked away the winner.Actually, outside of Manticore guards when they were kids, he couldn't think of a single other incident.

"I'm sorry," Janice heard Cole say.She looked up at him sharply, her anger still obvious.He had given in to letting her handle Kevin way too easily.She stood up, hoping she was looking menacing, and not as pathetic as she felt.His expression didn't change either way.He did look a little contrite.No matter.She wanted the truth.

"You knew Brickman was here," she said flatly."You didn't have to worry about Kevin because Brickman was right there behind him the whole time."

"Actually, neither of us knew the other was around," Cole replied.A touch of a smile curved up the corner of his mouth."It happens more than you might think.I was in too much of a hurry to get here to contact anyone, and I'm not always told when there's someone after one of us."He knew what was bothering Janice.Hell, the other way around, and he would have believed the same thing.

"I'm not going to say I'm not relieved he's dead," Cole said quite honestly."But for your sake, I am sorry you didn't get to him first."

She didn't say anything for a long moment.He could be lying.She could lie like a rug when she wanted to, and his training was far superior to hers, but she couldn't help but feel as though he was telling the truth.She didn't want to be angry with Cole really.None of this was his fault.If it had been Cyra out there, she would have been just as relieved that the person after her was eliminated.Janice hadn't thought about Cyra's stepfather's feelings when his brother wouldn't stop making moves on Cyra.Her niece needed to be protected, therefore Janice did what was needed and Rick had decided that California seemed to have better prospects once he got out of the hospital.

Without really meaning to, Cole found himself extending his hand out to her.Those few moments in her mind had let him know so much about her it was scary.It was possible for someone to instinctively still block off parts of the mind, but she had been completely open to him.He knew how much Kevin had meant to her.He knew this was killing her.He had seen how incredibly lonely she was, and knew without a doubt that right then she needed a friend.His hand closed on her wrist, holding it firmly for a second, and then she stepped into the circle of his arms.

Cole was not used to being physically close to people outside of his family.He'd heard a couple of women describe him as "that cold-ass son-of-a-bitch" and he had to admit that with those two in particular that were talking, that was exactly how he'd been, especially after he'd slept with them.Not that he'd acted before they'd slept with him like there was going to be anything more afterwards; they had known full well he was not, nor had ever been a warm person.Offering comfort to a person he didn't even know twenty-four hours before was not something he did, and he was more than a little surprised at himself for doing it.

Janice felt a few hot tears trickle down her face as her cheek pressed against Cole's shoulder.She had thought she wanted to be alone, but she'd been alone far too much in the last months.Maybe it was just because of the trauma of the last day, maybe it was something else, but of anyone who could have been there, she was glad it was Cole.He seemed to silently understand what she was going through, and wasn't trying to make her talk or any of that stereotypical psychological crap that you were supposed to do to someone who was upset.

"He wasn't like this," she whispered."Kevin would never…not when we were all together…this wasn't Kevin at all."

Cole's finger touched her chin lightly, tilting her head back.Their eyes met evenly."He made the choice to let the death of someone he loved change him," he said softly."He let the person you knew get torn apart.You wouldn't have stopped it.He was the only one that could."There was something in his eyes and voice that said he knew exactly what it was like to have to make that choice.

It made a strange sort of sense to Janice.She'd seen people use tragedy to become stronger.The Kevin she had talked to today was not the man she'd known before.He was so much less than before.It didn't mean it hurt any less, but it helped keep things just a little more in perspective."Thank you," she whispered so quietly it was almost mouthed.

She expected him to let her go after that, but he didn't move an inch, and there was no way she could command her legs to step back.She could feel her heartbeat accelerate for no discernable reason.Okay, there was that eye-contact thing that was intense enough to make her forget to breathe, but that was it.The moment wasn't getting less intense.Her eyes drifted shut, waiting for the touch of his lips against hers that she knew was coming.

There was a noise, and reality restarted itself.Cole stepped back quickly, putting space in between them as Xander came into view.Cole knew full well that Xander had intentionally made noise getting there so he would interrupt…well there wasn't anything to interrupt so it didn't matter.He ignored the raised eyebrow and smirk his brother shot at him.There wasn't a damn thing to explain, and since Janice had turned her back to Xander, he wouldn't have to explain their little by-play to her either.

Xander made a quick gesture to Cole.Return to base.Cole's eyes narrowed in suspicion.He wasn't leaving Janice alone for Xander to get a little revenge on.Xander rolled his eyes.Just going to talk to her, he mouthed, holding his hands out, palms up.Cole's look of warning before he turned to leave was enough to let Xander know that he better keep his word.Xander looked at him then back at her.It had to be Cole's twisted sort of revenge for that little practical joke Xander had pulled, posting certain measurements of Cole's on one of those pitiful "looking for a date" websites.At least Shawna and Cray had thought it was funny.

Xander cleared his throat.If he could change anything, it would have been that whole fiasco with Riespian.They all knew he got what he deserved, and privately, Xander thought the monster had gotten off rather easily.But if it had been Shawna that had been attacked, Xander knew without a doubt he would have done all Nightshade had done and more.

"Nightshade," he began, only to have her spin around quickly, her eyes blazing.

"Don't you dare call me that!" she snarled."Nightshade is dead.End of story.If you can't figure out what to call me from there, then get the hell away from me."

Xander had a few things he would like to call her, but none of those names would be productive at this point.There wasn't a need to not say what he had been planning, and what had really happened.He would deny anything that was said later."Riespian was marked," he blurted angrily.That got her attention.She turned slowly to face him.

"He was marked, and I got nailed for taking it?" she said incredulously.It had happened before that someone had taken someone down without authorization, but all was forgiven if they were previously marked.

"It wasn't exactly official," Xander replied."As a matter of fact, officially the punishment was going to be against his sister."He paused, and then finally said what he had thought he would never say aloud in his life."I had planned on asking a favor from my…from an X-6 that I knew personally.They're pretty trustworthy when it comes to covering tracks and not getting caught.Nobody would have suspected anything, but all of a sudden there was a buyer wanting a Manticore biosynth, and there was no way I was putting one of them out in the open with communications cut off.Not for anything.I had to choose between revenge and protecting them, and I chose the living over the dead."

"Why didn't you ever say any of this?" she asked."We've been trusted with darker secrets than that."

Xander shrugged."Manticore is a mostly forgotten project.Those who remain, they don't need to have their lives torn up by people making them into science project assassins again.I know where they are, and I know who they've become, and the last thing any of them needs is someone trying to reactivate what they used to be to satisfy a grudge.A personal favor is one thing, but the moment they were brought back into the spotlight, and certain people get reminded about them, it all starts over again."

Janice thought for a moment about Kevin.And herself.Had she known what was available, the tools that could have been used, yes, she would have pushed for it.It wouldn't have mattered to her that they might be happier away from that life.If any of them had wanted to be part of that life still, they would be in the CIA or maybe NSA, and she didn't know of a single person in either of those two agencies that had ever been seen doing what an X series could do.

"You didn't have to kill him," she said finally.He had an X-6 with him, and an X-7 right there.There was no way Kevin could have stood against the two of them, especially after seeing Heather dangling two people over a cliff.That kid could have pinned him by herself.

"If we hadn't, then what?" came the question.Janice sat down heavily on the rock again, her arms folded, staring off into her own thoughts as scenarios played out in her mind.Capture, yes.Then what?Prison?No, he knew too much, and even so, was there a prison designed that could hold him?Let him go?No, he was obsessed with getting a Manticore biosynth for the buyer, and there was no way he was going to ease up on what he saw as his way out.

She felt a hand on her shoulder."He could live as a traitor and an outcast," Xander said."Or he could be a dead hero."

Janice looked up at him, comprehension dawning."There's not a single person here who wants the truth to come out," she said softly.Devon, she thought.A father that was a traitor could embarrass him forever, or he could respect a man who died trying to save a young girl from kidnappers.

Xander smiled just a bit, once again wishing things could be different.If there was any way to bring her back…but there wasn't a way that he could see."Truth is what we say it is, right?"

Janice smiled back."And we say it's a darn good thing there was a law enforcement officer tracking the kidnappers and got Heather away from them."

"And saved a humble gym teacher that got caught up in the mess," he added.She nodded, not having to say that the rest of them were simply going to back out of the picture.Nobody would ever know about Cole and Brickman and Shawna, and she had no doubt that it would seem Alicia and Zack had been at the lodge the whole time.

Xander held out his hand, hoping she wouldn't bite it or something.She took it firmly, accepting his help standing.Whatever had been had been.Teaching gym for the next thirty years was a dismal prospect, but maybe something later would come along.It wasn't ever going to be what was, but it was going to have to do.Without another word needed, they walked back to the others.


	35. What to Say

Setting things up to give the unclassified world a credible story was easier than any of them would have thought

Setting things up to give the unclassified world a credible story was easier than any of them would have thought.The story was quite genius in its simplicity, but considering the body of people it was coming from, that was to be expected.The hardest part was moving some bodies around to make things just right, and Xander had to give a call to a forensic pathologist in the FBI to come out and do the post-mortems.Dr. Little understood that when the CIA called, they would let him know what needed to be found, and put into the official reports.It was simply a professional courtesy between agencies.

Zack and Alicia had explained to Heather and Jon what they needed to do and say, and were quite proud of their little girl when she'd made a few suggestions to make the story more believable.She'd learned a lot more than just what they had taught to her.At one point Alicia deftly separated Heather and Jon, wanting to talk to her privately about what to say, and getting Zack a moment alone with Jon.

Despite the cold, Jon felt a sweat break out as Heather's father pierced him with a look.Maybe he didn't want to be around Heather if this was her family.No.He liked her and she liked him, and they were just going to have to deal with it.Unless one of them shot him or something.He straightened his shoulders and took a deep breath.There was no way this could be worse than tandem skiing while trying to start an avalanche and being shot at.

"You know that once you see and hear what you've seen and heard today, you're put into the family circle of trust," Zack said, his voice low but menacing enough.The kid wasn't whimpering or shaking quite yet.He had spine at least."If you're the Jonathan she's been talking about the last couple of months, then I know you're a smart kid," Zack continued."This whole incident is not something you want to ever talk about."

Heather had told Jon that her mom was under orders to do what she did, but her dad was just protective over his siblings.Jon was willing to bet his daughter was far dearer to him than a brother or sister.He swallowed hard, getting down about half of the lump in his throat.It was enough to talk again."I'll tell the cops what I'm supposed to sir," he replied, and then gathered up as much bravado as he could."So, does this count as meeting me at the front door with a gun the first time I take Heather out?"

To his shock, Jon saw Mr. Raleigh actually smile at him, just as Heather and her mom came back."Yeah," he replied."I think today has been a much better point than a rifle at the front door."

"Daddy!" Heather cried.Her hands were on her hips, and she looked furious."I cannot believe you said that to Jon."She linked one arm though Jon's."I am so sorry," she said to him, hauling him off."Parents!"Jon snuck a glance back at her parents and shot them a grin.It would seem Heather had him right where he wanted her, and that was good enough for them.

"No rifle at the door, huh?" Alicia asked quietly, her arm encircling Zack's waist.Automatically, his arm wrapped around her shoulders as they watched their daughter and her first real boyfriend."Sniper on the roof then?"

"I promised no guns, and I meant it," Zack replied, sounding slightly offended.He glanced down at his wife."I never said a word about not booby trapping the porch for when he walks up."Alicia let out a little snort of laughter.She could see the twins on the roof watching them.'We have lip contact' and BOOM.With her hellions, anything was possible.

Cole and Janice had to get Tundra's body along with all the bloody snow around her to make the story complete.When they came back, everything was easy to set up.There was a group of kidnappers that wanted a wealthy American to hold for ransom.With her connection to Logan Cale and Justin Carter, editors of "The Truth" Heather made a great target once she was out in the open.However, there was an FBI agent that got wind of it, and came out to Colorado to see if it was real or a hoax.

Heather was going to admit that she had gone for a walk that night, and the kidnappers caught her then.Since the school knew that Janice was going to say that she went after Heather when she saw her outside, then tried to protect the kid from the kidnappers, but they were both knocked out.The school knew that Janice had spent three years in the Marine Corp, so her trying to protect Heather didn't seem odd.With the FBI agent's help, they managed to escape, but there was a shootout, and the leader of the kidnappers had been shot and fallen off a ledge, but the agent had been killed as well, with one lucky shot she had gotten off right as she fell.

Jon had heard the gunshots and come to the rescue.He'd asked about the fact his snowmobile had been shot up, but Xander had just smiled and told him not to worry about the inventory.It would be taken care of.All that was left now was to get Alicia and Zack back to the lodge, and for Jon to call into S & R and let them know he'd found them.

"Okay," Xander said, hanging up his phone from talking with the CIA among others."We got a lead on the buyer, so we're off to explain to him why he doesn't want to play with us."The four sixers were a little separated from the others, enjoying a few minutes of reunion before they had to get back to work.Xander glanced at Cole."You in?"

Cole rolled his eyes at him."When aren't I?" he asked in his best "duh" tone.

Shawna looked over at Alicia and smiled."One more time for old times sake?" she asked.For a moment her eyes lit up at the thought, but then she glanced over to where Heather and Zack were.

"I have more important things to take care of here," Alicia replied.As glad as she was to see her brother and sister again, nothing could compare with her husband and kids. She hadn't chose to leave Manticore; that was forced upon her by the director's treachery, but she had chosen to stay with Zack and raise their children together, and that was one decision in her life that she had never regretted.

"What are you doing next weekend?" Xander asked Alicia quickly.

"When have I ever planned that far in advance?" Alicia responded with a smile.The others grinned.That had always been her response when they were younger."What's going on next weekend?"

"Well, Lon and Cray are in the DC area, and if they knew that we'd seen you and not let them talk to you, we'd get our asses kicked."He gave Cole a pointed look that clearly said they were going to have a long talk later."Some of us are a little more forgiving, but you know those two."

Zack wasn't going to like it, but Alicia nodded.Not all of the sixers would be able to forgive her; that was to be expected, but the ones she had been close to, she did want to see again."Think you'll be done by then?" she asked.

Xander nodded."I give him three days, tops."Three days had always been their limit on a mark.Once Lydecker had given them an objective, they made it a point of pride to have him or her eliminated within seventy-two hours.It was just a little thing they did.

"See you Saturday then," she said, and then they went back to the others.

"You guys ready?" Alicia asked.

Jon nodded."I see you guys take off, and I make the call to S & R as soon as the noise dies down."

Xander had told his helicopter pilot to get out of there, that they had another ride.Agent Hanson knew better than to ask Brickman questions.He had booked without another word.It hadn't been easy for Alicia to leave Heather again, but they had a plan to stick to, and Zack reminded her that her being there was not going to carry out the plan properly.

Before they left, Xander took Janice aside for a moment."If there was any way…you know you'd be my first choice to go right?"

She'd given him a tight smile and then nodded.She wanted to go, there was no way to deny that, but she did understand his position.There was no way he could explain to the brass why she was part of the operation.It would be better all around if there were never a mention of her name.

A few minutes later, the helicopter took off, flew past them, and then was gone.Jon keyed his microphone."Base, this is S & R Hamilton," he announced."Victims have been located."

There was a slight pause, and then base responded."Victims found, copy that Hamilton.Status?" In the background, "damn kid did it, someone find the girl's parents!"

"Both are alive and well," he responded, and then gave base the coordinates.

"Transport is on its way," base came back."Good job."Jon keyed off and smiled at Heather, noticing Miss. Miller had walked off from them a little ways, looking over the side of the ridge where they had dumped Tundra's body.

"Remember you're scared and helpless, and I get to be the hero," he teased.She shot him a grin.

"As long as you know better," she said.He marshaled his courage, and wrapped his arm around her waist.For a moment their eyes met, and then he tilted his head down kissing her softly.

"You mean I don't get to be your hero next time?" he asked.

Heather blinked; trying to get her mind to come out of the daze his kiss had created."Actually," she said touching his face, "I think for our next date I'd rather do Chinese."They both laughed and kissed again, and it seemed within minutes, a helicopter's blades heralded the sound of rescue, and going home.


	36. Two Minutes

Janice got out of the shower and wrapped her robe around her body after drying off

Janice got out of the shower and wrapped her robe around her body after drying off.She hadn't realized how cold she was until after she got into the steaming hot water.It was tough being here when she wanted to be there, but it was something she was just going to have to live with.The hardest thing was watching them take off in the helicopter and go on the chase, and she had to pick up on the life she had made here.It sucked.Sucked to a degree she had not known life could.She thought she had put it behind her, that desire to let Nightshade get out and have fun, but she had been fooling herself.It was never going to be gone.Somehow she was just going to have to learn to deal with it.Maybe she should quit teaching and go into private security.Maybe.

She wandered out of the bathroom.Leslie, the teacher she was sharing the room with, was waiting for her.Great.This is what she didn't need.More questions.The police heard a credible story.Everything was just fine.You wouldn't be able to tell that Alicia and Zack were anything but terrified parents.Cole and the rest had stayed back.Leslie was sweet, but she liked to interrogate the hell out of someone.She liked knowing every little detail.Janice had almost shot her a couple of times during her first few months of teaching when Leslie tried to pry out why she had moved to Seattle and what her past life was like.

"Are you feeling all right?" Leslie asked her, looking sympathetic.

"Better now," Janice answered."I really want to get some sleep though," she added quickly to stave off any further questioning.It was true though.She was really looking forward to about ten hours of sack-time.She should feel pretty good about herself in any case.She'd managed to keep up with a multitude of the genetically engineered against a group of mercenaries.Not good enough, she thought sadly.

Leslie caught the brief flash of sadness, and jumped on it, her eyes bright as she scented some good gossip."Janice?If you need to talk, I'm right here."

"I'm just really tired," Janice reiterated, hoping Leslie would leave.She was going to have to go back to Virginia for a few days now.She needed all her strength to face that ordeal.It wasn't going to be easy, but Kevin deserved that respect.

They both heard a strange noise outside.Leslie was confused, but Janice placed it right away.Her heartbeat immediately leaped.A helicopter.No, don't get any hopes up, she ordered herself.That's not your world anymore.You won't ever be invited back.You ruined it for Kevin's sake.It was your choice, and you took it.Live with it.They were on the first story, so she was expecting to hear it get further away in just a second.Instead it came even closer.

They both looked up with surprise as a man dropped beside the window.It was unlocked, and he came straight in.Leslie was too terrified to scream as the extremely well armed man strode directly to Janice without even sparing a glance at Leslie.Janice was just wondering why Cole hadn't left yet.He was supposed to have taken off already to find the buyer.Rational thought ended roughly half a second after he got close to her.

Cole wasn't sure for certain why he was really there.He'd just finally told them he needed two minutes to do something, and despite the crude comments about getting it done that fast that had been popped off by Xander, they had headed into the right direction.Now here he was and here she was, and oh hell, why even try and fight it anymore?

He grabbed Janice by the back of the neck and pulled her to him, his lips meeting hers squarely.For a second Janice wasn't sure if this was real or if she was already in bed dreaming, but his mouth against hers, his hand on her neck, and the wild blaze of passion that contact had ignited felt pretty damn real to her.She felt totally paralyzed from the neck down, unable to even make her arms wrap around him.Holy Mother of God.

He finally pulled back from her, his eyes saying more than words could.There was the slightest smile on his lips, and then he was gone.Janice could only stand there numbly as he slipped back through the window, and was up the rope ladder suspended from the helicopter in the blink of an eye.She sat down heavily.It would have been nice if there were a chair where she chose to sit, but there wasn't, so she was on the floor.

"Not a single word," she said firmly to Leslie, holding up a finger in warning.It was hard to get her breath back."Not a single fucking word!"


	37. Epilogue

"So, what are they like

"So, what are they like?" Jon asked Heather as they sat down at the cafeteria table.She had gotten back the day before from Washington DC and met a couple more of her mom's brothers.Daniel had come down from New York even to meet them.Heather had gotten back late the night before, so this was the first chance that Jon had gotten to talk to her.

Heather toyed with her chicken.She really wasn't hungry, but if someone saw her sitting there and not eating, they would start on all that trauma crap again.That was one big downfall to being at a private school.Everyone knew what had happened, and all the teachers wanted to let her know they were there for her.The counselor wanted her to come in so she could help her deal with the "emotional issues that could cause scarring on a young psyche after such a dramatically traumatic event".Heather could only guess that since her parents were paying an obscene amount of money in tuition, everyone thought they should be concerned.

"I think Xander might have a split personality with that whole CIA thing," she said."Shawna is pretty cool though, and I think Cray needs to get together with Syl because they both have this thing for high-powered explosives."She thought for a second."I think I liked Lon the best though.He's an FBI agent. We went to Quantico and he was introducing me to everyone as his niece.That place totally rocks."

Her dad had not been happy about her going with her mom to meet the family, but in the end, he had let Heather go.Heather had heard the rather heated debate between her parents about her and Daniel going, but in the end, her mother had won out.At first, Heather wasn't sure who she wanted to win, but when Alicia said she wanted the twins to stay in Seattle with Zack, Heather knew she wanted to go.Her dad had said that he was going to stay in Seattle, but there had been a couple of times that there was a shadow catching the corner of her eye from rooftops and buildings, and she knew what it was.Mom had caught it too, and once left the hotel room in the middle of the night for about an hour.Heather wasn't sure what happened, but there wasn't a shadow for the rest of the weekend.

Jon had deliberately chosen a table by the wall, hoping that people would get the hint and leave them alone.Most of the teachers thought it was sweet that Heather had a friend to lean on while trying to deal with such "an incident difficult for a teen to cope with", but some of her friends hadn't gotten the hint that she didn't want to talk to them about it.She had stuck to the story they'd told the cops, but he was the only one she could tell the whole truth to.It was kind of strange in a way to be so into someone's confidence, but he liked it with Heather.

Nina and Beth came up to the table with big smiles."Guess what?" Nina asked Heather excitedly.She just knew this was going to get Heather right back to where she had been a couple of weeks before."Derek Waverly is going to be having a party next weekend, and he told me to tell you…" she paused to build up the anticipation."We're invited!!!" she squealed."Can you believe it?I mean just the coolest party of the year, and we're…invited," she finished in a much more subdued tone, realizing Heather wasn't jumping around squealing.

"That's cool," Heather said with a smile.

"Aren't you excited about going?" Beth asked.God, this was so not right.

Heather shrugged."Don't know if I will or not."The two girls looked stunned.Turn down a Waverly?Did she know what that meant for a sophomore to get?Of course she did.

"Oh," Nina said, still speechless."Um, well, let us know and you know."

"I will," Heather replied and they walked off.

"Turning down a Waverly," Jon said thoughtfully, but amused."Could play hell on your social life."

"Like any of that matters anymore," Heather said, and then sighed."Maybe I am a little different now, you know?I mean, what was so important before seems so…so petty now."She took a bite of her chicken, thinking.Jon didn't say anything, just waited for her to continue.That was something she really liked about him.He knew when to keep his mouth shut and listen.

"It's more like I didn't know what I was capable of before," she finally said, trying to put the nebulous feelings into words."Now…now it's like, why should I be here, when I know I can deal with the world at large?I want to be out there, not stuck here.I know I have to be more careful out there, but I can do that, and I know for sure now that I can rise to any challenge."

Jon smiled."You know," he said softly, taking her hand "I think I like you better now than before.You're more focused…more the woman that was waiting to come out from behind the girl."

Heather blushed.He had such a way with words.She felt better for just talking to him.School psychologists could think they were great, but an honest heart was the best person to help.She didn't have to duck questions with Jon, and he was such a great listener.Great kisser too, but that wasn't something she would tell a shrink.She was glad he was there for her, and since he hadn't run away screaming after everything that had happened, she knew he was going to be around for a while.They'd survived deranged mercenaries, the elements, Dad and the twins.The future wasn't clear, but his smile said he wanted to be part of her future.She hoped he could see the same in hers.

The cafeteria door opened, letting in a blast of cold air, and Ms. Miller walked in and looked around.The teachers were all assigned a week where they had to sit in the cafeteria and make sure the students were supervised.It was a point of pride at the prestigious private school that a teacher had never really been needed in there, but they made sure the students were supervised and chaperoned at all times.It was Ms. Miller's week to be on guard duty, and Heather had a feeling she was glad to be there.Heather knew how much her classmates had wanted to know what had happened, and she was willing to bet the other teachers had questioned Ms. Miller just as bad.

Heather flashed Ms. Miller a quick smile, and got a slight nod in return before she went over to the table in the corner where the teachers always sat.Most of the time they read a book or something or they walked around.Ms. Miller looked like she was filling out paperwork, but she had that sad expression she'd had a lot since they'd gotten back.Heather wasn't sure all what was involved, but she had a sickening feeling it had something to do with Uncle Cole.Heather had seen the delivery last week.There had been a rumor about Ms. Miller and some guy breaking into her hotel room at the ski resort.Heather did not want to risk knowing the truth.If she did ask, she might then have to go throw up or gouge her eyes out with a spoon

Janice sat at the table, occasionally looking around to keep appearances and playing with paperwork that she really wasn't reading over.It was so depressing to be filling out grades on who had participated in basketball when mere days before she had been running rampant through a mountain range, doing what she did best.Heather seemed to be doing well at least, and the talk of her and Jonathan as a couple seemed to overshadow most of the other school gossip that might have arisen.Heather was tough, and her family would be able to help her deal with it, if she did need help that was.

Heather's family.Cole Lydecker.That moment on the mountain she could have dismissed as just a momentary thing.Him coming back just to give her a kiss that had kept her awake at night thinking about it; that was a little bit more than a slight signal.Janice had muttered something to Leslie about him being FBI, but she was still wildly curious about who he was.Now the rest of the staff was also wondering.Janice hated gossip.She'd been trained to keep a low profile, but it was a little hard to do when all your colleagues were talking about you.

Janice had tried to convince herself that it was just a goodbye kiss.She wasn't going to be seeing him again at all.How could they get together anyways?They were on opposite ends of the country, not to mention government status.She had almost convinced herself, and not hearing from Cole at all making it easier to do, until Friday.Leslie had burst into the teacher's lounge, grinning like a Cheshire cat, and grabbed Janice, hauling her to the front office.

There was a large bouquet of green zinnias waiting there.Janice had stopped dead seeing the lime-green petals.How the hell could he possibly know her favorite flower?It wasn't like it was a common choice.These things had to be special ordered, and…and…oh, God, what else had he seen in her mind?

"There's a card!" Leslie had cried, pointing.Janice looked down at her, wondering if she was going to start dancing with excitement or just wet herself.Janice opened the small envelope, and took out the card.It simply read "CWL".Leslie was reading it over her shoulder, her face falling at the lack of romantic declarations."That's all?" she complained.

"Sometimes," Janice said loftily, "less is more."She'd picked up the flowers before she left for her apartment after school, their light scent reminding her of the woods around South Carolina where she'd grown up.Receiving flowers had always before been annoying to her.There was always a little card that said they were sorry, or they loved/missed/wanted her.The flowers were invariably roses.She hated roses.Him taking the time to get her exactly what she liked best, that said more to her than anything Hallmark could come up with.She hoped he would be in Seattle soon, and not just to find out what the "W" stood for.It would be…interesting to see him again under less tense circumstances.

Janice sat at her table, methodically checking off who had done what in basketball, and trying not to think about anything in particular.She was glad that nobody has been upset at her for taking off a couple of days after the incident.Most people thought she was recovering. She had been in a way, but in Virginia, attending Kevin's funeral.She'd seen her old team, and that had helped her more than anything else to deal with what had happened.Micah told her that he was surprised Kevin had gotten killed trying to protect someone.He'd changed drastically in the last six months, and even they were considering him unstable.She'd seen Devon, and knew that the child believing his father to be a hero would be far less painful than him being a traitor.He was staying with his aunt and uncle.They didn't have any kids of their own, and she knew they would treat him as if he was theirs.He was in good hands.She could deal with that.

A rhythmic thumping caught Janice's attention.She almost groaned.It was not something she had thought to hear again for a long time.What now, she thought irritably, grabbing her papers and walking outside as the helicopter came over the building, spinning in air, and landing easily in the grassy circle in the center of the circular drive-way in front of the school.She recognized the class of helicopter, and was not surprised in the least as a familiar figure jumped out.

Brickman jogged to her, raking his fingers through his dark hair trying to undo damage down by the windblast of the rotors.He looked at her sweats and smirked.If she didn't have half the student body and a growing portion of the staff watching, she might have decked him one just for good measure.The job sucked, but it was paying the bills, and she didn't want to lose it for a moment of satisfaction.

"Hey," he called out to her once he got close enough."Grab your gear," he ordered."We got some hot leads on the Fimbriani, and need to jump on them in the next couple of hours or we're going to miss them."

"So?" Janice asked, not daring to even think he meant what it sounded like he was saying.

"So you're the resident expert on them," he replied casually as if nothing was wrong at all."You need an expert to play with them."

"I can't," she said softly, her mouth dry, heart pounding at his words.Was this some sick sort of prank?

He looked dumbfounded."Why?"

She rolled her eyes."Because I have classes to teach," she snapped sarcastically."Why do you think?"

Brickman grinned, and she knew he had been teasing her.He glanced at the students and faculty all around, and switched to Arabic before continuing."Oh, that?Well, damn Nightshade, if you had just told me the truth last weekend, it would have been fine."She blinked."Cole told me all about it, you admitting that it was really Hawk that took the mark, and you just covered for him so he wouldn't lose his job, him having a kid and all."He blew out a breath."I know leaders are supposed to take responsibility for their subordinates, but that was a bit much.Admirable, but a little too far."He shrugged, trying to keep from laughing at her stunned expression."Anyways, the brass wasn't exactly thrilled that you pulled it over on us so brilliantly, but hell, we got Fimbriani to go after right now, and you got a team to pull back together later."

Janice knew her Arabic was a little rusty, but it couldn't be so bad she was completely misinterpreting what he had said.They wanted her back?This better not be a joke.Please, no, not a joke."Cole said that?" she asked in Arabic as well."And you just believed him?I didn't think you would believe your own mother telling you your birth date without proof."

Brickman smirked.He debated for a second, and then decided to go ahead and tell her.She'd figure it out soon enough when she realized whom he lived with once they got back to Virginia."I never met my mother," he replied."And what possible reason would my brother have to lie to me?"

Her eyes widened."Oh," she gasped.Brother?He referred to Cole as his brother?She grinned suddenly, everything making so much more sense.No wonder he was the Manticore keeper.It was a personal project to him.She wanted to laugh, understanding now why he didn't ask an X-6 to go after Reispian.A keeper wouldn't have a problem putting a charge in danger, but he wasn't about to risk one of his brothers.

"What can I say," she said still grinning, "I've always been tricky that way."Without a word, Brickman reached into his pocket and removed a black leather card-case, and handed it to her.She flipped it open, wanting to do a back flip with the sheer thrill of seeing her CIA credentials once more.Her eyes met Brickman's evenly."Fimbriani huh?We better get moving before they do."

She thought about saying something to Headmaster Webber, but who really cared about that?Nightshade had some Fimbriani to take out and then…and then the world was hers once again.She jumped into the helicopter, almost falling right into someone strapped into the side seating.He grinned at her.She smiled back a little hesitantly, feeling vaguely disappointed as they started to take off that he was the only one in the helicopter.Granted, whoever he was, he wouldn't be hard to view as scenery for the trip with his dark blonde hair falling forward a little into his bright green eyes giving him a rakish look, but he wasn't whom she would have liked to see.He did immediately pull out a piece of paper.

"Okay," he yelled to Janice, "look over this, and mark off the closest thing that describes what happened during the famed 'two minutes'."She went to reach for it, not sure what he was talking about, but it was suddenly ripped out of his hand, the knife neatly skewering the paper into the side.Brickman was laughing.

"Cray, I told you that we wait until after we got back to see who won pool!" he yelled.He looked over at Janice who was under the impression they had both lost their minds."Janice Miller, meet Cray Logan.We're giving little bro a lift back to his base before he's declared AWOL or dead or anything else they can think of."He grinned mischievously."I think you might have met our pilot.Just be glad he's as good with a knife as he is flying."

Janice's eyes brightened, and she ducked into the cockpit.Xander looked over at Cray and held out his hand expectantly.Told you he's not gay, he mouthed.Cray rolled his eyes, but slapped the twenty in Xander's hand anyways.There were worse things to bet on than your brother's sexual habits.Just because they couldn't think of any didn't make it less true, or less fun for that matter.Xander snickered thinking about the next few bets.He was going to win those too no matter what.He'd wanted so much to find a way to get Nightshade back in action.Cole had given him the way with a story so plausible that it was irritating that he hadn't thought of it himself.Making a little cash off of his siblings from it, well, that was just fun.

Janice jumped into the co-pilot's seat and grabbed the headphones."Why?" she asked.

Cole grinned at her."You deserved to have your job back," he replied simply.

"I meant the rest of it," she countered.If possible, he grinned wider.

"Because I know you don't like roses," he replied, and then laughed."As to before…because I wanted to…and so did you."She let out a little laugh.So what if he was dead on target.

"You saw anything else in there that I should know about?" she asked with a smile.

Cole made sure they were stable enough, and then leaned over, quickly letting his lips brush against hers.His smile was softer then."Just that you were absolutely right," he said.Her eyebrow arched in question."Italian is good for a second date."

She snickered."Second?You know, most men don't consider THAT to be a first."

"I'm not most men."

She eyed him for a moment."A-men to that," she breathed.They both smiled at each other, and neither noticed a twenty quietly being slipped from Xander back into Cray's hand.

The students on the ground were absolutely stunned as they watched the helicopter take off.Heather was trying to keep from falling on the ground, laughing until she couldn't breathe."I think that's the most unique resignation in the history of the school including when Mr. McNamara stripped naked and ran through the halls," Jon whispered.Now she started giggling.

"If they only knew," she whispered.He nodded in understanding.

"Do you know what they said?" Jon asked.If anyone were going to know how to make sense of the gibberish coming out of Ms. Miller and Heather's uncle, it would be her.

Heather looked up at the helicopter that was becoming smaller and smaller.She was pleased that she didn't have the urge to go back into the cafeteria and hunt a spoon, even after seeing whom the pilot was."I think they said," she whispered softly."I think they said things are going to be great."

Jon smiled back at her, his arm wrapping around her waist."You know…I think they just might be right."

THE END


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